twentynine
by oscines
Summary: twentynine is the story of a girl who didn't believe in love and a boy who had no use for it. Kyoya X OC
1. August Ends

twentynine

Chapter One

August Ends

XXIX

**A/N: Hello! This is my first fanfiction, and I'm hoping it turns out well. Wish me luck…**

**Brackets around someone's dialogue mean they are speaking in Japanese. If there are no brackets, they are speaking English.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own **_**OHSHC**_**. There's also a vague reference to a Lady Gaga song in there, and I don't own that either. Please don't sue me, okay?**

**This story is rated M for adult language, mild violence, and mature themes later on (I'd probably say it's more of a T, but I've rated it M to be on the safe side).**

**Enjoy!**

XXIX

_Dear Aurora,_

_I'm writing to you today from the airplane. Akito and I are on our way to Japan, and honestly I'm more nervous than excited. I'm going to stay with his family, which I'm not so sure is a good idea - but what with what's been going on in the past few months, there's not really much I can do, is there? Maybe a change of scenery will be a good thing._

_Anyway, I'm going to go to a school for rich kids there, Ouran Academy. As you know, the last time I went to a private school was in elementary, so I'm not sure what to expect. On one hand, there's a good chance those spoiled brats are going to look down on my public school education, but don't worry - I'll knock their socks off with my amazing math skills! However, I'm afraid the fact that the only Japanese words I know are "_konnichiwa_", "_arigato_", and "_kawaii_" might hinder my learning just a little._

_You'd laugh if you were here._

_Akito says not to worry. Apparently both the students and the staff at Ouran can speak English. Kids there are taught English from childhood, so they're all bilingual or at least close to it. Still, I hope I can pick up Japanese quickly. It's probably not a good idea to live in a country for who knows how long and not even speak the language._

_Strange as it may seem, I'm not even as worried about the language barrier as I am about the way people are going to treat me. Public school kids may not know the Amsel name, but these high society children are all about connections, meaning they will definitely know who I am. And that means they're probably going to know about you. I'm not sure if I can deal with a bunch of sycophants trying to be friends with me just because I'm the heir to the Amsel family._

_It might be nice, though, if the teachers suck up to me for once._

_Hey, look at me being optimistic… You should be proud._

_Hopefully, I'll be able to make a few friends. After all, I used to have social skills and everything! Akito's younger brother goes to Ouran, so I'll have one acquaintance at least._

_It's getting late - I should probably get a few hours of sleep before we land. Wouldn't want to get jet lag. So…_

_I miss you._

_I wish I could see you, face-to-face, for just a little. I wonder if you even read these letters. I know it's not like you can write back, but a girl can dream, right? That's what they say._

_Your sister,_

_Ariel_

XXIX

I shut the laptop and it makes that satisfying little muted snap noise - if you own a laptop then you know what I'm talking about. Akito looks up from where he's typing on his own computer across from me in a cream-and-chocolate leather recliner.

"Are you going to go to sleep?"

"Yeah," I reply. "Do you know how many more hours we've got left on the flight?"

He checks his (expensive-looking) wristwatch. "About seven hours until our arrival. Would you like one of the maids to wake you up before we land?"

I don't bother trying to explain that they're not maids, they're flight attendants. "Nope, I can wake up in time."

"Oh, yes...I forgot about that freak habit of yours," he teases me with a amicable sneer.

"I call it a convenient talent," I say, and stick my tongue out at him. My 'freak habit' is the ability to manipulate my internal clock, meaning basically that I can set an alarm inside my head and choose to wake up at any specified time and feel as refreshed as if I've gotten a whole night of sleep. It's a pretty useful skill, the only downside being that I sometimes take impromptu naps at random times throughout the day - even if I don't feel especially tired.

I tuck my laptop into my bag and one of the flight attendants leads me to the 'bedroom', which is basically just a small area closed off from the rest of our private jet, largely dominated by the king-sized bed in its center. Whenever I see it, I'm always a little annoyed at the extravagance – because really, who needs a king-sized bed for a single trip on an airplane? Despite the fact that my family is what most people would describe as _filthy stinking rich_ (and don't get me wrong, I'm well-acquainted with the luxuries of the incredibly wealthy), I have a good understanding of the fine line between spending money and wasting it. And as pretty much everyone would agree, a king-sized bed for a single person that would only be used at most once per month was absolutely a waste.

Nevertheless, I can't deny how good it feels to kick off my shoes, collapse onto that bed and wriggle under the comforter, not even bothering to change into pajamas. Thanks to the convenient clapping sensor installed in the overhead light, I don't have to leave my nest of blankets to turn it off. When my eyes adjust to the darkness, I feel an odd sense of comfort at the way the faint moonlight barely filters through the clouds and the tiny port windows to turn my sheets into an indigo ocean.

_Tomorrow will be better_, I tell myself before falling asleep, and hope that maybe someday I'll believe it.

XXIX

The next day, we've arrived and I unfortunately don't get to experience any of Japan's rich culture and tradition because the first thing we do once we land is drive by way of chauffeured limousine to the Ootoris' mansion. It's certainly impressive enough – probably almost as big as my family's main estate in Germany – but it has a cold, modern demeanor that doesn't really strike me as a 'home'.

Let's just say I'm not a fan.

A short butler answers the door and bows to us deeply before enthusiastically welcoming Akito. When he notices me, he gives me a polite greeting in softly accented English.

"[Your father has been waiting to see you, Akito-sama]," he continues, switching back to Japanese, and I'm not sure what he said, but Akito begins to ascend a flight of stairs and motions for me to follow him. Out of nowhere, a maid appears and silently picks up our luggage, only to slink back into the shadows. _This whole place is a little freaky-deaky_.

I shake away the thought and jog to catch up with my stupid brother-in-law Akito and his stupid long legs. It's not like I'm short, on the contrary – at 5'6, I'm on the tall side, but Akito's probably like five or six inches taller than me. It also doesn't help that this is actually his house, so he can navigate the hallways smoothly - whereas I have no idea where we're going. After walking a bit (this is one big-ass mansion) we finally reach what looks like the entrance to a study and I can see Akito steeling himself as he enters, though I'm not sure why.

This is just his family, right? As far as I know, he hasn't seen them in at least six months. Shouldn't he be glad to have a chance to catch up?

Apparently _someone_ is happy about the little reunion because as soon as he enters the room, a good-looking woman with flowing black hair attacks him. _Well…maybe attacked isn't the right word. She _glomps_ him? Yep, that's it_.

The woman (who is seriously gorgeous by the way) glomps him, so forcefully that he stumbles back a little and I have to scoot to the side to avoid bumping into him. As she embraces him, she lets out a high-pitched noise of excitement. "[Akito, it's so good to see you! It's been so long!]" she says in Japanese, so I have no clue what she's saying (but the reader knows, because the author is nice like that).

After a second, she pulls back. "[About her…I'm sorry. I wish things were different.]," she continues, more softly this time and I still don't know what she's telling him, but he gets this expression like he really wants to be sad but he doesn't know how to show it on his face so I know she probably said something about Aurora.

I shove my hands into the pockets of my jeans and try not to think about it.

The dark-haired woman turns toward me, and a smile graces her lips. "You must be Ariel Amsel, right? It's nice to meet you." She holds her hand out to me and I take it, silently marveling over how even her hands are pretty – delicate and soft and fine-boned with the nails perfectly manicured. "I'm Fuyumi Ootori-Shido."

Her English accent is perfect, and the thought occurs to me that _this is what a Wealthy Young Lady is supposed to like_ and _I'm never going to look like this_.

What the hell must these people think of me? In combat boots, black skinny jeans, and a tight white tank top, I'm not what anyone would expect from the heir to the Amsel fortune - not to mention my naturally garnet hair in a semi-punk haircut (a 'boy cut' with chin-length bangs in the front over my right eye, if you must know). I'm not beautiful, not doll-like or endearing. Not delicate in the least. The nicest thing that can be said about me is that I'm striking. I have a good body – a d-cup, a narrow waist, and long legs; but I don't have that air of regality that seems like a requirement for rich people.

That was my sister's thing.

I pull my lips into a smile faker than a pornstar's tits and reply, "It's good to meet you too."

"Miss Amsel." The smile drops from my mouth of its own accord and I turn toward the speaker. How did I miss him? The man is obviously a relation of Akito's, probably his father judging by the age. He has a Van Dyke-ish beard, wire-rimmed glasses, and ridiculously prominent cheekbones, all of which give him a sort of powerful atmosphere.

Akito's spoken about him, and his name jumps to my mind. Yoshio Ootori. Even the name itself is calculating.

He sits on a black divan behind Fuyumi, emotionless stare fixed on me, and suddenly I don't really have to wonder whose idea it was to decorate this house in basically just a shit ton of grey.

"Mr. Ootori. It's an h-honor to meet you."

I hate my voice for shaking.

"Likewise, though I wish it were under better circumstances. How are Friedrich and Elizabeth?" Surprisingly, he asks about my parents. His tone is sympathetic enough, but I know he doesn't care – at least not beyond preserving business relations.

"They're fine. Coping."

"That is good news." He waits, but I can't think of anything to say to this man except _why do I feel so inferior around you_ so I keep my mouth shut and he changes the subject. "Have you met my youngest son, Kyoya?"

So that's the name of Akito's younger brother, the one who goes to Ouran. I shake my head.

"Tomorrow you will have a chance to meet him. He is a second year at the Academy where you will be attending as a first year. Fuyumi, why don't you escort Miss Amsel to the guesthouse? I would like to speak to my son." His gaze is focused on Akito now, and for that I'm grateful – though I do feel a little nervous for my brother-in-law.

"[Talk later]," Fuyumi murmurs to her brother before proceeding to hook arms with me and half-drag me out of the room, but not before I catch a snippet of the older Ootori's words to Akito in a tone like frozen steel.

"[…So, the prodigal son returns…]"

Too bad I don't speak Japanese.

XXIX

Fuyumi and the butler lead me out of a side entrance, where we see a sleek black limo pull up (What is it with rich people and limos? It's not like one person plus a driver can't fit into a normal car).

"It appears as if Kyoya-sama is home early…" The butler looks slightly surprised as the chauffeur opens the door and a slim figure emerges.

And as soon as I meet his eyes, I can't breathe.

Because _day-um_ is this kid sexy.

Not damn. I mean the two syllable _day-um_ because this guy's insane hotness deserves at least two syllables. Other than some details of his jawline and the shape of his nose, he looks very little like Akito, which is a blessing because I am seriously having some dirty thoughts about this stranger. Thoughts that a Wealthy Young Lady is not supposed to have. I mean I'm pretty sure the words _can I take a ride on your disco stick_ just crossed my mind...I feel like thanking the universe in all its infinite knowledge for not giving me the ability to blush.

Well, I won't bother trying to describe him in too much detail, because I'm fairly certain all of the readers know what Kyoya Ootori looks like. Let's just say he's tall, lean but not skinny, with perfect hair and perfect everything. I'm torn between being in love with his glasses (because they lend to that whole sexy-cool-smart thing he's got going on) and desperately wanting to see him without them.

_Good job, Mr. Ootori! Your superior genes contributed to this masterpiece!_

Ahem. Can you tell I have a weakness for hot guys? Hopefully it won't come up again… _(Somewhere far away, the author chuckles evilly.)_

I snap back to the present to realize that hotness himself – aka Kyoya – is addressing me. "Ariel Amsel, I presume? I knew you were arriving today, but I wasn't sure I'd get a chance to meet you." He's wearing this smile, which is of course sparkly and beautiful and perfect (and I'm pretty sure there are purple roses blooming in the background or something?) but something about it strikes me as off, which is a real shame because I'm a pretty perceptive person and I can tell when people are putting up a front.

"You're Akito's younger brother then?" I fake-smile back at him.

"Please, call me Kyoya. I can see you're busy, but I hope we have a chance to talk another time."

It seems like Fuyumi enjoys bothering her younger brother, 'cause she smirks deviously and intervenes. "Actually, Kyoya, why don't you show Ariel to the guest house? You can take this chance to get to know each other~!"

"That sounds like a good idea. Besides, you should be getting back to your house, seeing as you don't live here anymore, yes?" They're both speaking in courteous tones, but I can almost see lightning flash between the two of them.

"I guess I'll be going then," she say, and bids me farewell, leaving in the car that Kyoya came in - and suddenly I'm alone with the prince of sexy. Well, not alone. The butler is still with us, and Kyoya has three bodyguards accompanying him.

Close enough.

"So, you go to Ouran Academy?" I ask. "What's it like?"

"It's a good school, and quite challenging. I'm sure you'll enjoy it." His expression – that radiant smile – is still faked, and for some reason, it's really annoying.

Arms folded, I stop straight in front of him, blocking him from continuing to walk. "You can drop the act, buddy. I'm not an idiot."

He has the decency to look confused. "…I'm sure I don't know what you mean?"

"Y'know, all this kiss-ass gentleman bullshit. No one acts like that in real life."

The smile becomes a smirk, which is somehow even sexier. _Ugh. I hate being a hormonal teenager._ "I suppose you're right." Kyoya pushes up his glasses and a gleam of light obscures his eyes from view. "You're very blunt, aren't you? Certainly not what I expected. Although," -he surveys me, taking in my outfit, and I wish again that I'd dressed up or something- "nothing about you is what I expected from the heir to the Amsel line."

"Well…" I try to think of a way to subtly insult his appearance, but it's fruitless. He's beautiful. "Don't underestimate me. I'm smarter than I look," I say finally after failing to find a single flaw in him. _Shit. I think I just insulted myself. Oh, well._

We spend the rest of the short walk to the guesthouse in amiable silence, but once we arrive he excuses himself, claiming that he has schoolwork to complete.

"Bye. See ya tomorrow, I guess," I tell him, a little relieved to be able to say goodbye. What can I say - something about Kyoya Ootori unnerves me.

"Tomorrow, then. Hopefully We will get a chance to speak more in length." He turns to leave with his bodyguards but looks back, the gentleman's smile still plastered on his face - but there's an undercurrent of pure evil that he barely bothers to conceal. "I look forward to seeing you in Ouran's uniform…"

_Whaaat? The fuck is that supposed to mean?_

Little did I know...

XXIX

**A/N: So what do you think of Ariel? Too mean? Too nice? Too annoying? How do I make her more awesome? Send me your thoughts!**

**Hopefully I didn't make any of the other characters too OOC. I know Akito is more uptight in the manga than how he's portrayed here, but there's a reason for that, I swear.**

**There's a bunch of confusing stuff here that will be explained as the story progresses. I just thought it'd be a little boring to dump a bunch of backstory on you before you even got to know Ariel's character.**

**Please review, favorite or follow! I appreciate reviews like crazy and I'll try to answer any question, comments, or concerns you have.**

**Fun Fact #1: Ariel's birthday is September 21. Her western star sign is Virgo.**

**About the Author: My birthday is November 6, and I'm a Scorpio (just like Kyoya…it must be fate~)**

**What's your sign, baby? Leave me a review!**

**Until next time…**


	2. Host Club

twentynine

Chapter Two

Host Club

**A/N: ****Hello everyone! After the long, **_**long**_** delay, I bring you the second chapter of my **_**OHSHC**_** fanfiction, **_**twentynine**_**. I'm so sorry for the wait, I've just been ridiculously busy and I swear the next chapter will be up way sooner.**

**Just a reminder, since the main character doesn't speak Japanese yet, the majority of the dialogue will be in English. If someone is speaking in Japanese, their words will be in [brackets], and Ariel will most likely have no idea what they're saying.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own **_**Ouran High School Host Club**_**, Disney, "Wish you Were Here" by Pink Floyd or "Love Club" by Lorde.**

**BTW, I re-uploaded this chapter and the first one like a day after I uploaded it the first time because I read them over and noticed there were a billion typos that I needed to fix. If you notice any that I missed, feel free to point them out in the most annoying way possible.**

XXIX

_Dear Aurora,_

_Tomorrow's my first day at Ouran, and you should see the uniform they're making me wear! It's this ridiculous knee-length yellow dress – long sleeves, puffy shoulders, and a high collar with white tights and Mary Janes included. What pisses me off is that you'd probably look good in it (you'd look good in anything) but I look like a pile of banana pudding. It's funny – you'd think with all the money these rich kids have, they'd be able to afford some taste._

_Ugh. I have to wear it, but I'm going to see if I can get away with stockings and Dr. Martens. With any luck, I might even find a way to un-puff the sleeves. They may drown my body in yellow fabric, but they can't drown my spirit!_

_Okay, enough with the uniform rant. In other news, Akito's little brother is super hot, but I can't really wrap my head around him. He talks to me politely enough and sort of suck-up-y, but I feel like there's more to him than just a brown-nosing rich kid. He's a year older than me, a second year. Speaking of which, even though I should be a sophomore back in LA, I'm a first year here because there's only three years of high school. Yay, I get to be a freshman again!...Not._

_I hope my classes work out. Akito signed me up and I have no idea what electives he picked for me. Right now, the only things I have for school are the temporary school ID and the uniform. By the way, did I mention that right now it's the beginning of September so in LA school would just be starting, but in Japan apparently the new school year starts off in the winter? That means I'm transferring in during the middle of their school year. What fun._

_Anyway, I miss you. Akito does too – he doesn't talk about you but he still wears his wedding ring. He has yours too. I see him messing with it sometimes, and I know he's thinking about you._

_Your sister,_

_Ariel_

XXIX

As usual, I wake up right on time - no alarm needed, thanks to my handy-dandy internal clock. Breakfast is delivered to my door by the maid, Maiko (who continues to call me Mistress Amsel even though it makes me feel like a dominatrix). The sampling of French cuisine she brings me is plenty luxurious, but for some reason I'm craving something spicy.

_I wonder if I'm riding to school with Kyoya?_

I shake my head. It's probably better if I'm not. Somehow I've de-puffed the sleeves of the uniform, but I still look ridiculous.

At 8:00 a driver comes to take me to school. Thankfully the youngest Ootori isn't there to see me wearing this thing. The drive to Ouran academy is quite peaceful, but I'm still slightly in awe at all of the huge mansions we pass along the way.

However, the decorations on some of these houses make me question whether these rich people know the difference between elegance and extravagance. I mean, take the one we're passing right now. Surrounded by long expanses of freshly cut grass and the occasional manicured shrub is what appears to be a supersized version of the Disneyland castle. I'm not even kidding. It's designed with real-live turrets and columns, like a medieval castle, all in a garish shade of pink. Whoever owns this place must be blind. I'd be embarrassed just to walk into-

The driver's smooth Japanese accent cuts into my thoughts. "We've arrived, Miss Amsel."

I blink. "What, this is Ouran?"

"Yes, Miss Amsel."

"Ouran Academy? My high school?"

"Yes." The driver allows himself a small smirk at my look of horror.

"You gotta be kidding…" I sigh. I'm going to school in Cinderella's castle. As a girl named Ariel with red hair and bluish eyes, you can probably imagine that I've had quite enough of Disney.

School doesn't start for another hour, so they aren't really any students in the halls. Normally I'd appreciate the solitude, but right now I wish there were some people around because I'm _completely fucking lost_ and I need to ask for directions.

After a while of randomly wandering around, I finally spot someone – a little girl with her hair in two blonde pigtails. Hopefully she speaks English.

"Hey!" I call to her and she turn around abruptly. Her face is so cute~ with doe-like cerulean eyes. I wish mine were that color, but my eyes are barely a dull prussian blue even in direct sunlight. "Could you point me to the main office?"

"[American?]" The little girl says.

"Um…I don't really speak Japanese. Could you take me to a teacher? Uh, a sensei?"

The girl's delicate features pull into a frown. "I speak English. Really good." She has a strong Japanese accent, but her words are clear enough.

"Great. Could you point me to the main office?"

"I can take," she says, offering her hand. The second I accept it (albeit warily), she's off, and I'm forced into a power walk to keep up with her. After a few minutes of being pulled roughly down the halls, I can see that I was in a completely different building than my desired destination, seeing as all of the students we pass are elementary schoolers – but who can blame me? This school is freaking enormous.

"So, uh, what's your name?" I ask her, because for all I know she could be the daughter of a gang leader taking me to their hideout. Unlikely? Maybe. But I'm not taking any chances.

"My name is Kirimi," she says in well-practiced English with a proud smile and I can't help but smile back.

"Well, I'm Ariel Amsel," I tell her in return.

"Ariel…" she tries my name out. It sounds different in her accent, but I don't mind. It's actually kind of adorable.

She bids me goodbye with a dainty wave when we arrive at the office and I wave back before entering it. Behind the spacious reception desk there are a few very prim, very elderly people working at state-of-the-art computers.

"Hello," I say to one of the receptionists.

He looks me up and down with poorly concealed disdain. "[What do you want?]"

"Umm…" I can't tell what he's saying, but I can definitely hear his tone. "I'm from America. I don't speak Japanese but-"

"Of course you don't," he cuts in with a sigh that implies that he's been dealing with troublesome students all day, even though it's only 8:30 and school hasn't even started yet.

Whatever. Why should I give a flying fuck about what this old geezer thinks of me? Just because I prefer combat boots to Mary Janes and I have more piercings than I can count (the majority of which I've taken out because they're against this school's dress code) doesn't mean I'm a rude person or anything.

Well, that's not entirely true. I can be a little rude at times, but I do try to act politely. "I'm a transfer student. I need my schedule and student info and stuff."

"Student ID number?" I open my mouth to tell him but he interrupts me before I can speak. "Never mind, it will have changed when you left the country." The man heaves another sigh. "Surname then?"

"Amsel. Ariel Amsel."

I quite enjoy the look of shock on his face as he pulls up my results on the computer. There are definitely some perks to being the heir to one of the richest, most powerful families in the world.

"M-Miss Amsel, I apologize for my rudeness-" he says with a blush and quickly ducks down to rifle through a pile of papers. "Here you go. We've been expecting you." A thick manila envelope is pushed into my hands.

"Thanks," I reply. According to my schedule I have my four core classes - History, Chemistry, Language Arts and Geometry - in room 1-A and then the electives – Art, Gym, Computer Sciences and Japanese as a Second Language – in various rooms around the school. Also in the envelope is a map of the academy, which I'm sure will come in handy. I was in an advanced math class back in LA so I have the receptionist change Geometry to Pre-Calculus, which is in room 3-B because 3-A is full.

"Are you sure you want to take a B-level class, Miss Amsel? With your status… You could always transfer to class 2-A for math." If I'm correct, math in class 2-A would be Algebra 2, which I already took last year. No way am I going to suffer through that curriculum again.

"I've been going to public school in LA for 5 years. I think I can handle a couple of second-tier rich kids." Well, probably.

He quirks an eyebrow. "If you say so. Make sure you stop by the headmaster's office after school today. He likes to meet the new students, and you're certainly a special case."

"Okay." Hot damn, what kind of school calls their principal a headmaster? Oh right, private school!

XXIX

"…and she doesn't speak any Japanese, so one of you can be her buddy and help her learn! Why don't you tell us something about yourself, Ariel?"

Ah, the dreaded first impression. School's finally started, and I'm standing at the front of class 1-A as the teacher waits expectantly for me to open my mouth and let loose some random fun facts about my life that everyone in the room will instantly forget. It seems like these kids don't get transfer students often because instead of the vaguely disinterested stares I'd expect from a classroom of teenagers, they actually look curious.

"My name is Ariel Amsel." A minute wave of recognition passes through the room. "I'm from Los Angeles, California. Umm…" I search for something interesting to say about myself – there's plenty, but it's not the kind of stuff you reveal to a group of 20 complete strangers. "Well, you might've guessed, but I'm the heir to the Amsel line. Also, my mother is Elizabeth Park, CEO of BriaTech. My favorite subject is computer science and I look forward to working with all of you!" I flash my teeth toward my rapt audience.

My teacher beams. "Isn't that nice! Now which one of you would like to volunteer to help show Miss Ariel around?" I have to admit I'm fairly surprised when a few students raise their hands. It doesn't really seem like that exciting a task to help the scary-looking new kid with translation. "How about…Kurakano-san?"

The dark-haired girl who volunteered seems nice enough, if a bit too lady-like to appreciate my rebellious ways. Nevertheless, we exchange friendly greetings and she helps me wade through the lectures in Japanese. I'm glad that she's as good at English as she is - I took French in school, but I would never be able to master it enough to help an exchange student.

After a few hours, we're dismissed for lunch and I hesitantly follow the rest of the class in the direction of the cafeteria when I feel myself being dragged back to room 1-A by two pairs of arms. Before I can think, I'm seated down at my desk again with two identical smirks trained at me.

"Hey, transfer student," they say in perfect unison. The two of them seem to be twins - both tall, hot, and somewhat evil-looking.

"[Don't bother her, you two,]" sighs a short (and I mean _short_) boy from behind the twins. He's...attractive, I guess, but for some reason it feels like it would make more sense to describe him as pretty than as handsome. "Hello, I'm Haruhi. It's nice to meet you." He extends his hand and I take it, despite the weird vibe I'm getting from him.

"Nice to meet you too. I'm Ariel."

"Don't keep her all to yourself, Haruhi!" one of the ginger-haired boys whines.

"We're the Hitachiin twins. I'm Kaoru-"

"-and I'm Hikaru."

"You're Ariel Amsel, then? I can't say I've never heard that name before," says the one on the right, Hikaru.

They simultaneously turn to Haruhi. "Do you know about the Amsels?"

"...No…"

"They're very powerful. And very wealthy," says Kaoru, whom I now identify as the one with his hair parted on the right side.

"Wealthier than a commoner like you can imagine." says Hikaru. The pretty boy, Haruhi, glares at them.

"So you're from America? What's it like?"

"Um…" I'm a little flustered. Was the 'very powerful, very wealthy' comment supposed to be a compliment? "Well, I just moved here this weekend and I already miss it, so I'd say it's pretty great. It's really hot though, a lot hotter than here."

"Why'd you move?"

"I came to stay with my brother-in-law's family. His brother Kyoya actually goes here. Do you know him?"

Haruhi's face freezes into a look of terror and the twins exchange a look. "Kyoya? Kyoya Ootori?"

"Yep, that's the one. Why?"

"You're living with the Shadow King? Really?"

That's definitely ominous. "I just live on a house on the Ootori's property. What do you mean 'Shadow King'?"

Hikaru leans closer to me and gives me an intense stare. "This girl lives with Kyoya? I can't see it."

"Can someone explain the whole Shadow King thing?"

As the twins debate the possibility of me living with Kyoya, Haruhi speaks up. I get the feeling he's the smart one in this group. "Kyoya is the manager of a club we're in. He's very intelligent, but he can be a bit…"

"Evil?" offers Kaoru.

"Sadistic?" says Hikaru.

"-ruthless," Haruhi finishes with a contemplative frown. I'd like to think I don't believe them, but something from what I remember about Kyoya tells me that 'sadistic' isn't much of a stretch.

"What club does he manage? Wait - let me guess - the debate club? Chess club? Model UN maybe?"

"Actually, we're in a host club," Haruhi tells me.

_Whaat? What in the hell is a host club?_

"Is that...like…" I search for the words. "Did you just say Kyoya manages a brothel?"

"What's a brothel?" Haruhi asks, an adorably innocent look on his face.

"Never mind. What exactly does a host club do?"

One of the twins cuts in - the one with his hair parted on the left. "We're a group of very wealthy young men with too much time on our hands who entertain wealthy young ladies who also have too much time on their hands."

Okay. I'm still not exactly sure what a host club is, but the more I hear about it, the more it seems like a group of high-class gigolos. That doesn't really fit my image of Kyoya, but hey - I barely know the guy. Then again, I kind of doubt that prostitution is one of the club activities that a school like Ouran Academy endorses. "Want to elaborate on that?"

Kaoru notices the slightly concerned look on my face and explains. "We just have tea with ladies and make them think we're in love with them."

Somehow that sounds more disgusting than prostitution. "Okie dokie. I think I'm just gonna go eat my lunch."

"Come eat with us, then. You come too, Haruhi - I'll buy you lunch and you can give me yours."

"No thanks." I pick up the covered glass dishes that contain the lunch my cook made and stand. "I think I'm gonna go to the library, maybe catch up on peace and quiet."

"Good luck with that. The damn rich people at this school think that libraries are place to socialize," says pretty boy with a long-suffering sigh. "And you should stop by the Host Club after school. It's not as awful as it seems."

The desire to giggle bubbles up in my chest because Haruhi's face is like an open book - I can tell he's at least 75% lying about the whole 'not as awful as it seems' thing. "I'll try to check it out."

XXIX

After lunch, it's off to Pre-Calculus, which is conveniently located in a different building all the way across campus. I arrive there a few minutes late and as some sort of divine punishment, the teacher makes a long, sickening speech about how being on time is an important part of our education. He explains the whole translation issue and assigns me a partner. Umehito Nekozawa. What kind of a person is Umehito Nekozawa?

The answer is scary. Umehito is scary. But I think it's the good kind of scary. I can't really see much of him from behind the oversized black cloak, but he feels like some kind of voodoo priest, and voodoo priest is comforting - I'm almost embarrassed to admit it, but I definitely went through my own goth phase back in LA (and at least a third of my old friends never got over theirs).

The desks in the rooms are arranged into little groups of four, but Umehito is alone in his. I have to assume that it's because of his aura of darkness, but who knows? Maybe he's one of those annoying kids who raises their hand at every single question and is a total teacher's pet, which for some reason I highly doubt.

As the lesson progresses, it's made clear to me that Umehito is not by any means a teacher's pet; in fact, the teacher actually seems scared of him.

I like Umehito.

"Do you like the dark arts? The occult maybe?" he asks at the end of the lesson as we pack up for our next classes.

"Not especially, I guess. That's kind of a weird question. Why do you ask?"

"Mmm. Even if you do not practice currently, you should visit the Black Magic Club. I am sure you will enjoy it greatly."

"I don't know. I sorta have something to do after school today, so I think I'll pass."

Umehito maintains his sharp-toothed grin. "Are you positive? It is very important for young students to have extracurricular activities to put on their resumées."

_Wow. Imagine putting "Black Magic Club, two hours a week" on a college application_. "I guess I'll try to check it out. Where's it held?"

"Just adjacent to Music Room number three."

"Cool." The automated whine of the bell nearly makes me jump out of my skin. "Shit, I gotta go. See ya, then."

"Until next time."

XXIX

The rest of my classes pass rather uneventfully. I have Art with Haruhi and the twins, Gym with just the twins, JSL with a private tutor in an empty classroom, and Computer Sciences blissfully alone. The sun doesn't feel hot enough on the back of my neck at the end of the day as I head to the headmaster's office, but I still miss the warmth as I sit in the reception area.

"Miss Ariel, I presume?" The headmaster shakes my hand firmly with a friendly smile.

"Y-Yeah, it's good to meet you."

"And you as well. My name is Yuzuru Suoh." He takes a seat in a luxurious leather chair behind his desk and I settle into a red divan opposite him. "Would you like anything to drink? Tea perhaps?"

"No thank you. I'm not really a fan of tea." A worried look is thrown my way and I cave. "Actually, if you've got any earl gray…"

"Of course." Before I can blink, Suoh waves his hand and a maid presents me with a fresh, steaming china cup. A single sip confirms that it's perfect - scalding hot, no cream, and more sugar than a five-year-old would ask for. A lucky guess on the maid's part, maybe?

"So how have you been liking Ouran so far?"

"Well, the language barrier will be difficult to get around, but I think I'll be fine."

"And the content of your classes hasn't been too challenging?"

"Maybe a little, but I'm a fast learner."

"I would say so. In your file, I can see that your skill level in some areas is very high. You have very good scores on standardized tests, particularly in mathematics. In fact, it appears you are taking a maths course two years ahead of your grade level?"

"Yeah. There was a program at my old school to take high school level courses in junior high, so I've been a few years ahead in math since then."

"I must say, this is impressive. After this year, if you continue your studies at Ouran, I would recommend you to further your education with a private tutor so that you can learn at a faster pace. However, it seems many of your teachers commented that while you made high scores in tests and quizzes, you had low motivation for work outside of class. You also did not participate in any extracurricular activities."

_Jeez, why is everyone at this school obsessed with extracurriculars?_ "I think you're forgetting the Love Club. I was actually queen, y'know."

Mr. Suoh flips through my file once more. "I don't see any 'Love Club' listed here."

"Um, never mind. I was just kinda busy outside of class, doing teenager stuff, so…"

"Well, I can say that I understand the sharp drop in your grades a few months ago." Trying to find somewhere else to look, I fix my eyes on a small whorl in the woodwork of the headmaster's desk despite the feeling of him staring at me. "Losing a member of your family is very hard."

My muscles feel jumpy, as if I have too much energy and it's seeping out of my pores across my skin. I suddenly feel like I've retreated into my brain and my arms and legs are just foreign appendages hanging uselessly off of my body. I don't know what to say, so I just look out the window and crack my knuckles awkwardly.

"Well," Suoh clears his throat. "I understand you've been attending public school for the past few years?"

"Yeah."

"As I'm sure you will come to understand, Ouran Academy is a very different environment. The connections our students make here will continue to serve them throughout the rest of their lives, both socially and professionally. Almost every student here belongs to a powerful family, so any social interaction in or out of class will be a very high-stakes endeavor. This may seem overwhelming at first, but if you ever need help you should feel free to talk to me or your guidance counselors. Do you understand?"

"Yes-" The scratchy sound of a radio cuts me off - my ringtone, "Wish you Were Here" by Pink Floyd _(a super awesome song that everyone should check out, hint hint)_. "Oh, sorry-"

"That's quite alright. I think we're done here, so feel free to answer."

"Thanks." I rush out of the building into an open-air courtyard to get away from the stifling atmosphere of that little office.

"_Hey, Ariel!"_ Akito's voice greets me through the smartphone's tiny speaker and I feel a wave of relief. _"Sorry, I forgot to tell you that the car isn't coming for you and Kyoya until later. Were you waiting long?"_

"No, I was actually meeting with the headmaster. When's the chauffeur coming?"

"_After Kyoya's club ends. You should go and wait with him."_

"You mean the host club?"

"_How did you know?"_

"Uh, someone in one of my classes mentioned it to me."

"_Someone told you to come to the club? Was it a girl or a boy?"_

"Ugh. Does it really matter?"

"_Fine. Goodbye."_

"See you later."

XXIX

When I open the door, I find... the host club. Or at least that's what I assume it must be. I'm plenty relieved that I haven't walked in on a male brothel, but the scene in front of me isn't really what I would expect from a normal club. First of all, there isn't any specific activity they are all doing apart from having tea and chatting. Secondly, the ever-present, ever-bored supervising teacher that one can expect to find at any club is definitely absent. And lastly, there are a _ton_ of girls - at least five for every guy.

Noticing me hovering confusedly in the doorway, one of the (few and far-between) male individuals comes up to greet me. "[Fair maiden!]" He takes my hand in a single smooth movement and kisses it before I can react. "[It is so refreshing to see an unfamiliar princess here! Tell me, what is your name?]"

"Ummm…" For a second I'm lost for words. Who actually does stuff like that? Going up and kissing random girls' hands - how high is this guy? "I actually don't speak Japanese. Could we talk in English?"

"Of course, my princess! It would be my pleasure. I am Tamaki Suoh, son of the headmaster."

Wow. Now he's calling me 'princess'? What's next, 'sweetiepie'? However, I have to be impressed with his English. He has the best accent I've heard yet, including Kyoya's. In fact, if I had to label his accent, I wouldn't think Japanese but rather something more European. "I'm looking for Kyoya Ootori. Do you know where I could find him?"

"Oh, interested in the cool type, are we? Kyoya's with some clients over there right now, but you should feel free to join them."

"What do you mean, the 'cool type'?"

"That's Kyoya's type. Here at the Host Club, each of our hosts has a specific type that appeals to a different kind of girl. I'm the kingly type, which is fitting since I'm the king of the club!" Wow, talk about conceited. Why would he call himself the king and not the president or something? "Mori-senpai is the wild type and Honey-senpai is the boy-lolita type."

Well. Out of all the weird things I've seen and heard today, someone calling someone else the 'boy-lolita type' is probably the strangest.

"_We're the little devil types,_" whisper the Hitachiin twins into either ear, nearly causing me to jump out of my skin in terror. Seeing the indignation on my face, one of the twins descends into petty giggles while the other maintains his smirk.

"Really funny, guys." I proceed to bang their heads together none-too-gently.

"Ow! You're mean!"

"Yeah, whatever." I pretend to examine my nails.

While the twin with his hair parted on the right (Kaoru? Hikaru? I have no idea at this point) massages his head from my blow, the other twin speaks up. "So you came after all. I thought you said you weren't going to?"

"I have to wait for Kyoya." Speak of the devil - Kyoya suddenly appears at my side, breathing over my shoulder.

"Ariel. Why are you here?" He looked annoyed for reasons I cannot fathom. Okay, okay, I can kind of fathom his reasons - it must be a little weird to have the freaky foreign girl who's living in a house on your family's property come to your club and watch you weirdly flirt with girls. I can't say I'd be completely comfortable in his shoes. Still, the guy needs to take a chill pill.

"I'm waiting for the chauffeur to come and pick us up."

"There's no need to wait. I'll have Devereaux come right now. He can come back later to fetch me."

"That's not necessary, I don't mind. In fact, I think I'd like to see this Host Club it seems like everyone's talking about!" I hide my evil smirk under a sweet smile. Kyoya smiles back but it definitely seems kind of forced.

"If you wish, Ariel. I'm happy to entertain you. However, I have a few clients right now - perhaps you could talk to…" He looks at the other hosts gathered in the room. "Haruhi? It'll be a few minutes, and then we can talk to your heart's content."

"Sure." I cross the room and then sit down across from Haruhi, who is enjoying a few moments to himself with a cup of tea and some biscuits.

"Ariel!" he says, surprised. "I didn't expect to see you here."

"I didn't expect to be here," I laugh.

"What exactly brings you here, then, if you don't mind me asking?"

"I have to wait for Kyoya to finish his club so we can go home together."

"Well, I'm happy to talk while you wait." A small smile graces the pink bow of his lips. "How were your classes today?"

"Nothing too unmanageable so far," I reply. "What do you think you're going to do for your project in Art?" Haruhi and I are in the same Art class and our first assignment for the grading period is a portrait. The first part of the project is just to take a photograph of your subject.

"I think I'll do a self-portrait, nothing too complicated. Do you know what you're doing with yours yet?"

I shake my head. "No idea. Hopefully inspiration will hit me out of the blue or something, but since I don't have a creative bone in my body, it's not likely."

Haruhi laughs along with me and we continue to talk about our shared classes. Eventually a few other girls join the conversation and I find myself enjoying their company. I guess rich girls aren't so bad, huh? Who knew.

"So you're the new transfer student?" one of the girls asks. "The Amsel heir, right?"

"Yes."

"Isn't it hard, since you only speak English?"

I scratch my head. "I guess kinda. I can speak German fluently and a little bit of French, but I know like two words in Japanese."

"What two words?"

"Uhh... konnichiwa. And uh, arigato maybe."

The group of girls tittered, though not unkindly. "Say it again!" one of them giggled.

"Konnichiwa?" Even Haruhi chuckled into his tea. "Is it really that funny?"

"Ariel." Kyoya's hand on my shoulder startled me, but I kept my composure.

"Wanna talk?" He nodded and I followed him to a pair of couches devoid of girls. "Are you mad that I came to your club."

"No." He pushes up his glasses. "How was school?"

_Original,_ I think. "Fine."

"I wonder..." He eyes me sideways. "Your family certainly has influence."

I take a sip of the bitter black coffee. It's nothing special - almost sour, kind of. I guess I'm just not a coffee person. "You're not wrong."

"I've had trouble looking up your records." Kyoya took a sip of his own drink, which is a soft burgundy pink. Tea, probably.

"Is that really something you should be telling me?"

He shrugged. "There are certain things that would be useful to know. I don't mean to violate your privacy."

"Then don't." I can't help but feel a little annoyed. Why would he try to look up my records in the first place?

"I apologize."

Hmph. He doesn't look very sorry.

XXIX

**A/N: Sorry if that ended a little abruptly. I'm bad at endings. On another note, I swear I'll update sooner this time! I'm so sorry for the delay, I've just been very busy.**

** Reviews, follows, and favorites are greatly appreciated. I swear that every time I read a review I sit in front of my computer grinning for about half an hour.**

** Fun Fact #2: Ariel has ten piercings: lobe and upper lobe on both ears, three helix on her right ear, one helix and an industrial on her left ear, and a piercing on her left eyebrow. She takes most of them out for school except for her lobe and upper lobe piercings.**

** About the Author: I used to have two ear piercings, but I let them both close up. The only piercings I currently have are snakebite piercings on my lower lip. Don't worry, I'm not a scene kid (although if that's who you are, who am I to judge?). I'm actually pretty normal aside from my closet anime addiction.**

** Got any piercings or body mods? Leave me a review!**

** Until next time...**


	3. Secrets

twentynine

Chapter Three

Secrets

**A/N: Bonjour, dear readers! You may or may not be wondering why this fanfic is named "twentynine" of all things. I assure you that it has a meaning, but it's a bit obscure so if you've guessed it at this point, I'll be pretty amazed. Anyway, I'll reveal the meaning at the end of this story but I'll give out a couple good hints along the way in case any of you actually care.**

**IMPORTANT: I have this story completely planned out, and it's definitely going to be a slow burn. If you like the action to happen quickly, this may not be the story for you (but you should keep reading it anyway because there is no certainty in life).**

**This chapter contains some point of view changes, and since I'm writing in limited perspective it might be a little confusing. To clear things up, I'll indicate whoever's point of view it's in after the scene change marker. For example, if I was changing to Pope Francis's POV, it would look like this:**

**XXIX**

**Pope Francis**

**If there's no name after the scene change marker, you can just assume that it's in the same point of view as the scene before it.**

**Just a reminder, since Ariel doesn't speak Japanese yet, the majority of the dialogue will be in English. If someone is speaking in Japanese, their words will be in [brackets], and Ariel will most likely have no idea what they're saying.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own **_**OHSHC**_**, the Ramones, or the Sex Pistols. Like, at all.**

**Whew, that author's note was more than half a page! How come I can't write this fast for school essays?**

XXIX

_Dear Aurora,_

_I'm sorry that today's letter is so short, but my laptop is about to die and the charger is broken. I'll write you as soon as I get a new one._

_It's weird, but ever since what happened before I went to Japan, my memory of your death is gone. I can't even remember what I said in my testimony. Akito would just say I'm repressing the memory, but if I am, I'm not doing it consciously. I haven't told him because I don't want him to worry - and I don't want him to try to help me remember. It's selfish, I know, but I don't want to remember my sister's death. You get it, right?_

_Your sister, Ariel_

XXIX

Ariel

Honestly, thank God for Saturdays. I don't know what I would do without them. People can argue their Fridays and Sundays all they want, but Saturday is truly the best day of the week.

Today is one of those glorious Saturdays, specifically Saturday, September sixth. I've been lounging around the Ootori's expansive library all day, confined to the English section (which is quite a bit larger than I would have expected, being that the Ootori family doesn't have an ounce of European blood). Originally I was looking for English translations of several books I need for Language Arts, but having found only two of them, I've just been meandering around the library picking up whatever book catches my fancy.

Come to think of it, I should probably try to find the books I need. I pick up the bright yellow sheet of paper that lists the required reading for the semester and study it carefully. Thankfully, my teachers make English copies for me of whatever handouts they give to the class, but my language arts teacher neglected to tell me where I could actually find the books.

The Ootori's private library has a pretty good collection, but the only books I've found so far are _The Complete Haiku_ by Matsuo Basho and _I am a Cat_ by Natsume Soseki. The other two I need are _Fires on the Plain_ by Ooka Shohei and _The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle_ by Haruki Murakami, but I've looked for quite a while and I haven't seen them.

I suppose a German translation could work - I'm half German and had to learn it growing up, so I'm fairly fluent - but this library only has about two shelves of German books, all by German authors. I briefly consider looking for a French translation, then abandon the idea. I may be able to hold a conversation in French, but I certainly can't read fine literature in the language.

There's nothing left to do but go to a bookstore, but where would I even find a bookstore that specifically carries English translations of Japanese books? I guess I have to ask one of the people who lives here. Akito left for his university on Friday, so that leaves Yoshio (who is not an option, he's way too intimidating), Akito's older brother (who I've never met), Kyoya (the Shadow King), and Fuyumi. I guess I could also ask one of the servants - they're probably more likely to know anyway.

One of the maids that I ordered tea from a while ago knocks at the heavy doors of the library. _Wow, that's pretty damn convenient_. "Yeah?"

Instead of the maid I expected, it's Fuyumi who opens the door, carrying the tray of what I assume to be my tea. "Fuyumi? What are you doing here?"

"Ariel! I heard you'd been cooped up in here all day. Aya told me she was bringing you your tea, and I said I'd take it instead so I could check up on you."

I frown, though more in confusion than anything else. "Oh. You didn't have to do that. I was just looking for some books I needed for school."

"That's good, then. Very studious of you. Did you find them?"

"Yeah. Well, I found two of them. There were two that I couldn't find English translations for, though. Do you know if there's a bookstore or a library around here that would carry that kind of thing?"

Fuyumi shakes her head. "No, sorry. Although… is that the list?" She reaches toward the yellow paper on the chair where I was sitting earlier.

"Hey, the tray-" I try to warn her, but it slips out of her hand before she hears me and crashes to the floor. "Fuck!" I jump out of the way of the splintered glass. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, sorry?" she breathes, still staring in shock at the debris of the fancy glass tray and fine china tea set that are now in pieces across the library floor.

"Here, move back a little bit. Broken glass can be pretty sharp." I take her elbow and guide her back to a safe distance.

"Oh, my- I'm sorry, Ariel! I'm not usually so clumsy."

"It's fine, it's fine. No use crying over spilled milk."

"Oh dear," she sighs. "Aya!"

The maid appears seemingly from nowhere, a mysterious phenomenon that I have seen several times but have yet to understand. "[Yes, Ootori-sama?]"

"[Could you please clean this up?]"

"[Of course, Ootori-sama.]"

Aya begins to clean up the mess and Fuyumi snags the list of books from the chair. "_Fires on the Plain_ and _The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle_?"

"Yeah. I need _The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle_ by Monday, so I thought I'd go out on Sunday to get it."

"Hmm. I don't know about that one, but I think Kyoya may have _Fires on the Plain_ in his room."

"An English translation? Why would he have that?"

"You never know with that boy." Fuyumi wrinkles her perfectly shaped brows together. "He's always trying to learn something. But I'm sure I've seen an English copy somewhere in his room when I was trying to clean up his bookshelves the other day."

"Could you show me there? I don't know where it is."

"You've never been to Kyoya's room?"

"No, why would I… never mind." I pick up the two books and the list and follow after Fuyumi.

Before we leave, Fuyumi turns back to Aya. "[Could you be a dear and send some more tea up to Kyoya's room?]"

"[Of course,]" Aya replies and Fuyumi leads me out of the library.

I have no trouble keeping up with Fuyumi because she and I are about the same height. As we walk up stairways and past locked doors, I keep a careful note of the path to Kyoya's room because-

_Wait, why? Why do I need to know where Kyoya's room is? We're not even friends._ I mentally slap my cheeks. _Pull yourself together, woman. Thinking the guy is hot does not mean you need to know where he sleeps._

The first thing I notice in Kyoya's room is that it's freezing cold. Fuyumi pulls her cardigan closed over the soft blue dress she's wearing, but my attire - a Ramones shirt and plain gray shorts - offers me no relief.

"[Tamaki!]" she calls down to the lower level where someone who definitely isn't Kyoya is sitting at some kind of blanketed table.

He looks up at us as we descend the stairs. "[Fuyumi! And…]" He tilts sideways like a puppy as if trying to discern where he's seen me before.

_Oh! It's that guy from the host club!_ The 'king', he called himself. I remembered his sickeningly sincere smile and the way he called me princess. _Ew._

"We've met before, haven't we, princess? What are you doing here? Have you come to see Kyoya?" _More ew. Do I look like a stalker?_

"Yeah, I was at the host club that one time. I actually live here. And my name's Ariel, so there's no need to call me princess." I extend a hand to him, more comfortable than I was at school in that awful uniform now that I'm wearing my standard outfit of band merch and ratty denim.

"You live here? With Kyoya?"

"In a house on the property, actually. I just came in here to look for a book that Kyoya has in his room." I glance towards the bookshelf, which houses a surprising variety of books - all of which are strewn haphazardly on the floor or stacked on the shelf. Funny, I thought of Kyoya as the meticulous type. "Fuyumi, did you say you were trying to clean this place up? I can see why."

She covers a charming smile with her hand. "I think I may have done more harm than good. I was trying to organize Kyoya's books, but I suppose I'm not much of a housekeeper."

_Wow, Fuyumi made this mess?_ I think to myself. _Who'd've thought such a perfect lady would have this kind of quirk? I guess growing up with a dozen maids at your beck and call would kind of limit your ability to do things yourself._

Fuyumi fishes through one of the piles and emerges with a worn copy of _Fires on the Plain_. "Here!" She hands it to me with an expression that could be described as nothing less than victorious.

"Thanks." I take the volume and settle down at the blanketed table across from Tamaki and tuck my feet under my butt to conserve warmth - only to discover that I don't need it, because under the blanket the table is surprisingly warm and toasty. "How come this table's so warm?" I ask no one in particular.

"It's a kotatsu," Tamaki replies brightly. "A traditional piece of Japanese furniture with a heater underneath to keep a family warm during the cold winter months."

"Is that why you turned the heat down in here? You wanted to use the kotatsu?" Fuyumi asks.

"Yes, I wanted to share it with Kyoya, but I've been waiting for a while and he hasn't come back." I can practically see Tamaki's puppy ears droop down and his tail stop wagging.

"Hmm, I'm not sure where he's gone…Perhaps somewhere with Otou-sama? In any case, he should be back soon." Fuyumi taps her chin delicately. "I guess I should probably be leaving. Otou-sama will reprimand me if he sees I'm here and not with my husband.

"Oh, you're leaving?" I look up from where I was flipping through the book. "Bye, then. Thanks for helping me find this."

"Goodbye Ariel! And Tamaki, we should have instant ramen next time." She ascended the stairs and left me pondering her last comment.

"Fuyumi likes instant ramen? And you like it too?" I asked Tamaki.

"Commoner's fare is really quite exquisite! Have you ever eaten instant ramen?"

"Yeah, of course. I just didn't really think it was the kind of thing you two would enjoy. I mean, it's not really fine cuisine, is it?"

"Perhaps not, but it provides a bit of insight into the way commoners live, which is a valuable lesson for those as fabulously wealthy as Fuyumi and I! Now that I think of it, you're attending Ouran, aren't you? What family do you belong to?"

"I'm the heir to the Amsel line." _How many times am I going to say those words throughout my stay here?_

"Ah, really? I believe our families have done business in the past."

I'm really not surprised. There's a saying in our family that every successful business in the world owes a debt to the Amsels, and while that's an exaggeration, it still rings true in many cases. "You're the Suoh's heir, right?"

He leans back and gives me a wry smile that looks strange on his princely features. "I suppose, yes, I'm the heir. The heir presumptive." His expression is almost a little sad, or perhaps regretful.

I try to remember what exactly 'heir presumptive' means. It's something about the position of heir being uncertain, but I can't quite remember the specifics. As an heir myself, I should probably know these things, but I've been second-in-line to inherit the Amsel name for the majority of my life with no desire to overtake my older sister. I only became the heir apparent a few months ago when Aurora- when she-

_When she died, you fucking baby. She's been dead for months and you can't even think the words? In a few years you're going to graduate and take everything that was ever meant to be hers. Get the fuck over yourself._

I know my mental self-abuse is unhealthy, but it's been a habit for years that I just can't quite shake. It's the only way I can steel myself when I want to be weak.

Tamaki senses my discomfort and tries to change the topic. "You're a transfer student, aren't you? Why did you move here? And why to the Ootori's estate? Don't tell me… you're arranged to be married to Kyoya!" He pulls back and makes a face like I stepped on his tail. "Why did Mommy keep this a secret from Daddy?!"

"Wait, what? I'm not gonna marry Kyoya, jeez! And who the fuck are Mommy and Daddy?"

"A proper young lady shouldn't use such crude language!"

"Do I look like a proper young lady to you?" I growl. "Who are Mommy and Daddy?"

Tamaki looks close to tears at this point. "I'm Daddy and Kyoya is Mommy…"

Is it me or does Tamaki's mood change like a light switch? "Are you two… like… together?"

"Together?"

"Y'know, in a relationship."

He looks confused again. "Kyoya is my best friend."

"So… you're just friends? What's with the Mommy and Daddy then?"

"The Host Club is like a family! Kyoya is Mommy and I'm Daddy, those shady twins are our sons, and Haruhi is my beautiful daught- ahaha, my darling son also! Haruhi is certainly a very manly gentleman, isn't he?"

"Uh, yeah I guess." I feel like I'm missing something here, but I'm not quite sure what it is. "What about those two other guys, the tall one and the really short one? Are they in your 'family'?"

Tamaki looks relieved for some reason. "I suppose they're… neighbors?"

I guess it's kind of cute, how he's made his club into a little family. Normally I'd think it was lame, but Tamaki kind of makes the whole 'moody puppy dog' thing work for him. I mean, if he hadn't opened his mouth I'd still want to bang him like a screen door in a hurricane (whaaat? Tamaki Suoh is many things and unattractive isn't one of them) but now that I've actually spoken to him… he seems like the kind of guy who'd be a good friend.

_Oh my God. When did I get so sappy? I need to play some Sex Pistols and wear something leather to regain my tough punk-rock exterior._

Someone knocks at the door. Kyoya maybe? No, that's not right - no one would knock at their own door. Probably a maid or something.

"I'll get it," Tamaki says, and he returns a few moments later with a tray of tea. I pour myself a cup and heap in the sugar to the point where I'm sure Tamaki is giving me weird glances. It tastes like something herbal, maybe chamomile. I'm not usually much of a tea person, but since now I live in Japan I'll just have to get used to it. Tamaki helps himself as well, and I'm glad for the casual atmosphere between us because formality has never been my strong suit.

"Is your hair color natural?" he asks me.

It's a common question, but I'm still never 100% sure how to answer it. "Yeah, I guess." I twirl one of the short ruby-red strands between my fingers. "It's naturally a kinda like, auburn-y red and I use a toning conditioner to make the red part stronger."

"It's very beautiful," he says without a trace of dishonesty or any ulterior motive. _Damn, this guy's charming._ Just a while ago I was disgusted by his obvious flattery, but now I'm starting to see why so many girls come to his club.

We make small talk for a while until I find my eyelids getting droopy. The sugar in my tea isn't doing its best to keep me awake, while the chamomile is working towards an opposite motive. As Tamaki picks up one of the volumes from Kyoya's desk to thumb through, I can feel myself heading to dreamland…

XXIX

Kyoya

I shrug the thin grey coat from my shoulders when I enter my room and attempt to mentally categorize the work I have left to do today. Spending the day at Father's company is always a rewarding experience, but it also results in a backlog of homework that will keep me up past midnight in order to remain on schedule. There is the history assignment that Tamaki and I have yet to finish - I'll have to call him and make sure he's completed his part. Then there's the English essay and the Physics study guide, which I can probably put off until Sunday if I get at least half of the Algebra 2 project done tonight…

I sigh to myself. Nothing too unmanageable, but I may not get a full night of sleep until the grading period is over.

As I descend the stairs to my work area, I discover I'm not alone - that idiot Tamaki set up the kotatsu in the middle of my room and is having tea with none other than Akito's sister-in-law.

"[What are you doing here, Tamaki?]"

He smiles, puts a finger up to his lips, and motions to Ariel, who appears to be sleeping at the table next to a stack of books. "[I thought you would want to work on the project,]" he whispers.

Though I'm annoyed (who is Tamaki to tell me to be quiet? How many times have I wished Tamaki's mouth had an off-switch, and now he's shushing me?) I drop my voice to a whisper as well. "[I thought we agreed to work on it separately.]"

"[Don't you think it would be more fun to do together? Besides, I wanted to use your kotatsu.]"

"[I have a lot of work to do today. It will be easier to complete at our own homes. Anyway, why is she in here?]"

"[She came in here a while ago with Fuyumi to look for a book you had here and we ended up talking until she fell asleep. Do you think it's jet lag?]"

"[I doubt it.]" I settled down at the kotatsu next to Tamaki. "[She's been here for a week, she should've gotten used to the altered schedule by now.]"

"[That reminds me, why exactly did she move to your family's property? She didn't tell me.]"

I wonder if it would be inappropriate to tell him. Ariel expressed annoyance the other day when I mentioned I looked into her past, but would she consider this a violation of her privacy? On the other hand, I'd never been one to keep things from Tamaki. "[Did I mention to you that about a year ago Akito moved to America?]"

"[Yes, I think so.]"

"[Well, he moved there after running away with Ariel's older sister, Aurora. He even stated that he meant to give up the Ootori name. However, Aurora passed away a few months ago and the position of heir fell to Ariel…]" I pause to let the enormity of my last statement sink in.

Tamaki looks stricken. "[That's awful, she didn't mention anything like that. But why move here?]"

"[I don't know the details, but it seems like Ariel was having some trouble within her family after her sister's death. Akito offered to move back to Japan and take her with him, and my father obliged to get into the good graces of the Amsel family.]"

"[It's rare for you not to know specifics.]" Tamaki takes a sip of his tea.

"[The Amsel family keeps their secrets well-governed.]" I notice the title of one of the books beside Ariel and pick it up. "[Is this the book she was trying to find?]"

"[Yes.]"

"[_Fires on the Plain_… do you remember reading this when we were first years?]"

Tamaki laughs. "[Barely. It seems like such a long time ago.]"

Our discussion is interrupted by a soft yawn from the formerly sleeping girl to my right. She stretches upward, sharp grey eyes rolling to the ceiling, and then runs her fingers through her short hair. "Sorry, did I fall asleep? I was up late the other night unpacking my stuff… Oh hey, Kyoya!" she says when she notices me.

"Ariel," I acknowledge her.

"Hey, do you know any place around here that would sell a translation of _The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle_? I looked in your library but you didn't have it."

"There's a small bookshop on the other side of town that would probably sell it. You can go tomorrow."

"Cool, thanks. I think I'm gonna go back to my room. It was good talking to you, Tamaki! Bye!"

"Bye, Ariel. You should come to the host club next week!" Once it's clear that she's left the room, Tamaki turns back to me. "[That's the girl whose sister died only a few months ago? I wouldn't believe it if you yourself hadn't told me.]"

"[Neither would I.]"

XXIX

Ariel

I wake up blissfully a little past 10 AM on Sunday and take the opportunity to savor my traditional Japanese breakfast of rice, miso soup, grilled fish, and rolled omelet. As usual, the chef has cooked more food than I should be able to eat in one sitting, but I try my best to finish the meal down to the last grain of rice. It definitely doesn't hurt that every single dish, though simple, is delicious. I didn't really eat much Japanese food before I came here, but I truly seem to have developed a taste for it.

After breakfast I decide it's time to get my book and hopefully bond with Kyoya on the way. So far I've made a few acquaintances at school, but it still bothers me that I've known Kyoya for about a week or so and yet he still seems to hold little interest in me aside from our families' business relations. I mean, I'm smart, charming-ish, and reasonably attractive - what's not to like? If I'm going to stay with this family I should at least make an attempt to bond with the people who actually live here.

I hop in the shower and take special care to gently wash my hair, which is a bit brittle due to my constant blow drying when it was long. Now that it's in a "boy" cut a quick rub with a towel will do the trick, but I have to use moisturizing treatments to get it back to its former kitten-softness. The bathroom is overstocked with luxury beauty products of every kind, even a soap from chanel that smells incredible and feels even better. Along with a myriad of bath products there's a huge assortment of expensive makeup filling the bathroom cabinets that puts the little bag I brought from California to shame.

Inspecting a La Prairie concealer that retails at over $150, I decide it wouldn't hurt to dress up a bit. Aside from school I haven't left the Ootori estate all week (having no friends makes me lazy) and it's past time for me to get out. Besides, I've been mooning over Kyoya since I met him - it's time to show him that he's not the only one who cleans up nice.

I finish up my makeup with a spritz of Coco Mademoiselle Eau de Toilette to match the scent of the soap and then leave the (now fragrant) bathroom to rifle through the drawers of my bedroom for something wearable. Whoever decorated and stocked this guesthouse before I came also provided me with a dresser and walk-in closet's worth of clothes, but most of them wouldn't suit me. I feel a little bad that someone in this household wasted their money on dozens of pink dresses and prudish blouses that I'll never wear, but at least they can go to charity or something.

Well, there are some garments I'm going to make full use of. I saunter over to the dresser and pick out a pair of lacy white panties with the tags still attached from some expensive french boutique. I've never been a shy person, but my current lingerie collection looks positively bare compared to the rainbow of silk and lace in front of me.

As I finger a pink balconette bra in my exact size, I have to wonder who exactly picked all this stuff out. Definitely not Yoshio Ootori, but the idea of him browsing through the intimates section on Agent Provocateur's website is an odd mix of horrifying and hilarious. It was most likely Fuyumi who got all this stuff together and decorated this place.

After selecting something strapless and black for my boobs and a pair of matching panties, I go through my suitcases of clothes to find an outfit to complement my buoyant mood. There's a studded white bustier top that ends a good three inches above my belly button that I used to wear all the time but haven't even tried on in a couple months. It might be a little risque, but who cares? It's my turn to knock Kyoya out of the water.

To tone it down I throw on an olive-green cardigan and pants and head out the door to get Kyoya to take me into town.

XXIX

Kyoya

"Why do I have to take you?" I grouse. "If you give Devereaux the address he can drive you wherever you want."

Ariel pouts and flops down on my bed. "Aren't you bored of doing homework?"

She isn't completely off-point. While I don't find homework to be… boring, per se, it does get tedious after a while. However, my own interest level in the work does not change the fact that it needs to be done. "That's irrelevant. It is necessary to stay at the top of my class. Just go by yourself."

"I hate doing things by myself," she grumbles softly.

After a while she appears to have no intentions to leave my room so I turn back to my homework and leave her to play with her phone on my bed. Before even five minutes have passed, my cell phone breaks into a chorus of annoying rings and vibrations and Tamaki's smiling face appears across the screen calling me for who knows what reason.

I pick up the phone. "_[Kyoya? Is that you?]"_

"[Who else would it be, you dolt?]"

"_[We're going shopping with Haruhi, would you like to come?]"_

Why is everyone so desperate to make me come out with them today? "[I have things to do.]"

"_[Bonding with the Host Club is more important than studying. This is a valuable chance to see how commoners live!]"_

"[I don't need to learn about commoners.]"

"_[Come on, you'll have fun! I'll have the car stop by your house to pick you up.]"_

"[No, I-]" Tamaki seems more determined than usual to drag me away from my duties. If he takes me shopping with the host club, I'll be gone all day, whereas going to pick up a book will probably be much less time consuming… I glance at Ariel. "[I already have plans.]"

"_[Really?]"_ Tamaki sounds disappointed. "_[With who?]"_

"[I'm taking Ariel to get that book she wanted.]"

"_[Oh. Another time then.]"_ The click at the other end of the line is a small relief, but now I suppose I have to take Ariel out.

"Come on. We can go now." As I stand up from my chair, she scrambles to sit up on my bed.

"What, really? Why?"

I shrug. "I needed a reason to cancel plans with Tamaki."

She smirks in response. "You're awful."

"You can't complain, can you? Come on before I change my mind."

XXIX

After a good few hours being dragged around by Ariel as she buys books, clothes, a charger for her laptop, and what seems like every little trinket she lays her eyes upon, I begin to wonder if it was really a good idea to go with her rather than Tamaki. She seems intrigued by literally everything and darts around from shop to shop whenever she sees something that catches her fancy. I worry vaguely about losing her in the pushy Sunday crowds because I'm not as familiar with this area of town - most of my shopping is done by servants and when I do go out with Tamaki we generally browse in a wealthier district than this - but whenever I'm close to losing her I catch a glimpse of her fiery hair and find her again.

This time I have to jog a little to catch up to her as she waits to cross the street to a convenience store. Two men dressed rather coarsely lounge around a bus stop, eyeing her in a less-than discreet fashion.

The one on the right plucks a cigarette from his lips and exhales a stream of blue-grey smoke. "[She's kinda cute, right? Tall though.]"

"[Looks like a foreigner,]" the other replies. "[Think maybe she needs someone to show her around town?]"

I catch up to her and grab her arm, ignoring her slight expression of surprise. "Stop running off like that. What if you get lost?"

"Ha, sorry. There's just so much stuff here that I've never seen." She smiles broadly. "They sell umbrellas from vending machines! How cool is that?"

I smirk at her transparent amazement and let go of her arm. Out of the corner of my eye, I see the two men turn away from Ariel. "[Looks like she's got a boyfriend.]"

At least I'm good for something.

When the light changes, Ariel crosses over to the convenience store with me close at her heels. "If you're hungry, we can go to lunch," I say, more than a bit weary of this entire shopping expedition.

"Really? I'm out of cash though, and I haven't seen any ATMs around here."

"I'll pay if you promise that we can go home right after."

"Yeah, sure! Can we have sushi?"

I nod and lead her to the nearest restaurant that serves sushi, an affordable family-owned place called Atarashi Haru. Inside the lighting is soft and warm though the air is cooler than the summery temperatures outdoors. Despite the abundance of guests, service is quick and I have barely decided what to eat when the server comes by.

"[What will it be for you two today?]"

"[I will have the Kyou no Sakana.]" I look over to Ariel, who clearly has no idea what the menu says. "[And she'll have the Chirashizushi with uni and salmon eggs.]"

"[It'll be right out. And by the way… you and your girlfriend make a lovely couple.]"

Instead of correcting him, I just give him my trademark Shadow King glare. The waiter shivers and skitters away without taking our menus.

"Did you order for me?" Ariel asks, as if the answer weren't obvious.

"Yes, I got you scattered sushi with salmon eggs and sea urchin."

"Sounds good. What'd you get?"

"The daily fish selection."

"Nice." She rifles through one of her many bags and picks out the book to thumb through.

Counting the waiter and the two men at the bus stop, there are three people so far that have assumed we were a couple. I wonder how that could be gathered from our interactions - while we have been holding a friendly rapport, there's certainly little that could hint to any sort of personal relationship.

Though maybe, if I had to examine the two of us from a purely objective perspective, it wouldn't be impossible to assume we were together. We're dressed similarly in casual but expensive clothing, her outfit a bit more daring but certainly suited to her frame. The possibility of us being siblings is nil to anyone with eyes - my pale skin is quite the contrast to her light olive tones. I've often been told that I am very attractive and she, while perhaps not traditionally beautiful, has strong features and intelligent eyes that are made captivating with the inky black makeup I've never seen her without.

We look… good together, I suppose. It may have been poor judgement to glare at that waiter.

Ariel looks up from her book and catches me assessing her appearance. "Yeah?"

I begin to reply with a benign "Nothing", but the word stops in its tracks as I catch sight of a head of fluffy blonde hair at the entrance of the restaurant. _Tamaki_.

"We have to go," I urge Ariel. If Tamaki is here, the rest of the Host Club is probably with him - including Haruhi, who will most likely be dressed in women's clothes.

"What? We haven't even gotten our food yet-"

"KYOYA! What are you doing here? And Ariel too! What a coincidence!" Tamaki, beaming broadly, has not yet figured out that Ariel will find out Haruhi's secret if she sees her. The rest of the host club follows after him to our table.

"Hey, Tamaki! Wow, all of you hang out together even outside of school? That's-" Ariel cocks her head to the side when she finally sees Haruhi. As I feared, Haruhi is wearing a long flowing skirt and a tank top that accents what little chest she has. It's perfectly reasonable clothing given the hot weather, but it leaves little doubt to her sex. "Wait, is that you, Haruhi?"

I sigh to myself. This will take some explaining.

XXIX

**A/N: Well, there you go! The third chapter is finished. What do you think? Tell me in the reviews. Every review, follow, and favorite earns you a hug via computer.**

**Also, could you tell me how I'm supposed to respond to reviews? I've seen some authors do it in the A/N, but I feel like that's kind of annoying for those who would rather just get to the story. I tried to do it by leaving a review myself, but I don't want to do that again because it's a bit unfair to pad my own review count.**

**Fun Fact #3: Ariel's patronus would be a German Shepherd.**

**Abou****t the Author: I'd want my patronus to be something cool and scary like a leopard seal or a dragon, but it would probably be a penguin. Not that I'm complaining - penguins are great!**

**What would your patronus be? Tell me in the reviews!**

**Until next time...**


	4. Color

twentynine

Chapter Four

Color

A/N: Hello, darlings! I hope you haven't been waiting too long for this chapter, but I swear I've been really busy with school. Anyway, here is Chapter Four, a magical chapter of romance and sudden twists and turns along the way, and perhaps even a blessing of unicorns if you wish hard enough.

Okay, that was all bullshit. But hey, at least it's a new chapter.

Just a reminder, since the main character doesn't speak Japanese yet, the majority of the dialogue will be in English. If someone is speaking in Japanese, their words will be in [brackets], and Ariel will most likely have no idea what they're saying.

Disclaimer: _**OHSHC**_ ne m'appartient pas. Even if you don't speak French, you should be able to guess what that means.

Enjoy!

XXIX

"So, okay…" I sigh and massage my temples. "Let me get this straight. You-" I nod to Haruhi. "You are female. With lady parts. And you identify as female."

He - no wait, _she_ nods. "I do, though I don't really have a strong sense of gender like most people. But it's fine for you to think of me as a girl if that's how you see me now."

"Okay. And you dress in the male uniform at school why, exactly?"

Kyoya clears his throat. "Haruhi owes a debt to the Host Club as a result of breaking an expensive vase of ours a while back. She's paying off her debt by hosting as a male."

"Hmm…" I ponder Kyoya's words as I pick at my chirashizushi absently. We're still at Atarashi Haru, all eight of us crowded around two snug little tables that don't really accommodate for 5 fully grown teenagers and two mini-sized ones (Honey and Haruhi, I'm looking at you two). The host club has just finished explaining their situation to me and, well, I'm confused. "But why exactly do you have to host as a guy? Couldn't you just dress like a girl?"

Tamaki and the twins look stricken. "B-But, my precious daughter, if people thought she was a girl, all kinds of nasty men would come after her-"

"Shut up, senpai," Haruhi says calmly. "I dress like a guy because otherwise I wouldn't be able to pay off my debt by having girls request me."

I bite my lip. "No, I get that, just… Okay, so Tamaki started this club 'to make girls happy'. But for the rest of you, it has to be at least a little about networking, right? I mean, the people at this school are your future business partners and competitors. By having this club where you play nice with the girls, you're establishing good relations for the future."

Kyoya looks at me with something like interest. "Perhaps in part."

"Well, if all the hosts are male, you're pretty much only catering to one demographic - girls, and well, I guess guys who are into guys. But Haruhi's pretty cute, right? If she dressed as a girl when she hosted, you'd be able to reach a lot more students."

"You're right, I guess. But would Haruhi…?" says one of the twins (Hikaru? I really can't tell). After a few moments of staring into space, something sparks in the corner of his eye and an evil grin spreads across his handsome features. He pulls his brother close to him and whispers into his ear, and soon that same devious smirk is mirrored onto Kaoru's face.

"You know, Miss Ariel, you're quite right. A female host would really expand the host club's potential," says the one I think is Kaoru.

"But Haruhi's personality is much more suited to flirting with girls than with boys."

"An ideal female host would be beautiful, charming, and strong-willed-"

"-and of course, very wealthy and influential."

"In fact, someone like you, Ariel Amsel, would do very well as a host."

"Whoa, whoa. I see where this is going." I put down my chopsticks and look up at the club's King. "C'mon Tamaki, this is your club. Would you want me as a host?"

He appears to ponder the suggestion. "It could be a good influence to Haruhi if she had a girl around to teach her how to be more feminine; Renge obviously failed at that."

_Who__'__s Renge? Wait - that__'__s not the issue here. Do I want to be in the host club?_ "Well I guess if you're all okay with it, I could try hosting." _What did I just get myself into?_

"Are you sure?" says Haruhi. "If you get involved with these people, they'll rope you in somehow."

I shrug. "Why not? None of you really seem like the type of people who'd keep doing this club if you didn't like it. Well, aside from you, Haruhi."

"The host club isn't so bad. It's good that I'm in a club so I can look well-rounded on college applications. As long as my grades are fine, I don't mind hosting."

"SO CUTE!" squeal the twins and Tamaki in chorus as they pull her into an unreciprocated group hug.

"Okay then."

I guess I'm a host now.

Why do I always get myself caught in these weird situations?

XXIX

Okay. Hosting. I am a host. For the next hour and a half, I will flirt with guys and serve them mediocre coffee while dressed in an outfit with some weird theme.

I guess I can cross that off my bucket list.

Today the theme is Colors. Each of the hosts are in extravagant outfits, each a different color. Tamaki wears a suit in a brilliant white so bright that it almost hurts to look at him (or is that just his personality?). Honey's color is pale yellow, which complements his blue eyes and cheery attitude, while Mori is dressed in deep ivy green. The twins are both dressed in blue, almost exactly the same color, but Hikaru's sport jacket just _barely_ leans toward turquoise, while Kaoru's is closer to ultramarine. They both look equally delicious, but I've finally figured out a way to tell them apart - Kaoru's hair is parted on the right, and Hikaru's hair is parted on the left. As long as they don't change that very often, I hopefully won't call one of them by the wrong name or something.

Kyoya's color is a true, pure lavender: a surprisingly delicate choice, but he makes it look incredible. Still, despite the multitude of hot guys, I have to admit - Haruhi's the star of this show. Her color is deep blood-red, which pops beautifully against her pale skin. It's apparent that some special care went into her outfit, because it works with her petite frame and narrow waist and yet still manages to make her look 'masculine'.

My color is fiery orange-red. Just my luck that on my first day of hosting I have to wear the only color that manages to wash out my warmly-toned skin. The outfit consists of a military style overcoat with shiny gold buttons that flares out at the waist over a casual romper. They even provided shoes, uncomfortable lace-up booties that put me at the same height as Kyoya. I also have to wear a wig; according to the twins, my ruby-red hair is just far enough from the right color that it could ruin the whole ensemble. Since they didn't have any short-notice wigs in the perfect shade, the fashion-obsessed twins had to make do with a long brown wig that confuses me when I look in the mirror.

Well, it may not be my usual style, but it looks good. I look around to make sure no one's watching, and then do a quick twirl in the mirror to make the excess chiffon around my thighs swish through the air of the dressing room. I grin at myself in the mirror and then strike a few poses - first cocking a hip sharply and glaring like a model, and then batting my eyelashes and kicking up one heel like a stereotypical schoolgirl-

"Ahem." A condescending cough brings me back to reality and I spin around to see Kyoya smirking at me from the doorway to the room.

"Hey! You can't just barge into a dressing room like that; what if I was still changing?"

"You weren't, were you?" He pushes his glasses back up onto his face. "Club activities are starting soon."

I can feel my face settle into a scowl as I push past him out of the room, only to be pulled by the twins to the front of the doorway. "You have to be in the front, Ari!" says Hikaru.

"Why?" I whine, 50% about why I have to be in the front even though I have no clue what I'm doing and 50% about that little nickname Hikaru just sprung on me.

"It's your first time as a member of the host club!"

"Besides, it's the first time there's been a female host-"

"-as far as our customers know."

"Fine." I smooth out my skirt and slap my cheeks for confidence as the doors slowly open and a shower of rose petals blows through the entrance.

"_Welcome to the host club!_"

XXIX

"So what made you decide to become a host?" asks a customer in softly-accented English.

Surprisingly, my customers so far are both male and female, though I suspect the girls are more interested in talking to the weird foreign student than exploring their sexualities or anything.

"It seemed fun." Earlier Tamaki announced that I was going to be marketed as the 'Fiery Type', so I guess I should try to play that up. "I'm always looking for something interesting to do, and I thought it would be cool to try hosting."

"What kinds of things did you do for fun in America?" asks another customer, Nara.

"Uhh, I did all kinds of stuff." Generally, thinking about my life in America brings me down, so it can be difficult to remember my life in L.A. without retreating from the safe place in my mind where I don't have to think about...things.

Nara notices the look of discomfort on my face. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Umm, in America… I went to public school for like four years, so that was an experience."

My customers (especially the girls) lean in closer. "Really? Why? It's not like the Amsels can't afford private school."

That's true enough. The Amsel family crest is probably next to the dictionary definition of 'old money'. "My mother thought I would be more worldly and down-to-earth if I went to public school. She herself grew up going to public school in New York and she made her own fortune. My dad's from a very long line, but he still agreed that I could have many more experiences if I went to public school."

"That's so inspiring!" squeals a girl, her eyes shining. "What kind of experiences did you have in public school?"

"Well, I learned that I liked math and computers, like my mom. And I got to make friends with people from a lot of different of class backgrounds. I think in general there was a lot less pressure to conform to the standards expected of a daughter from a powerful family. Everything was really genuine, y'know? Sure, there was backstabbing and lies and the usual teenage stuff, but nothing was a huge plot or a deception to get in my family's good graces. I think it was pretty great to meet people who actually liked me for… well, who I actually am."

My customers are now staring at me in rapture. "You're so cool, Ariel," breathes Nara.

"Now I wish I knew what it was like to go to public school!" says a dark-haired girl at my left.

"Me too! But wouldn't it be strange to be around so many commoners? Although, if they were all like Haruhi, I don't think I'd have a problem." The two girls giggle to each other.

I tug on my wig and mentally roll my eyes. _If only they knew that their dream guy was actually a girl..._

XXIX

After the club is finally over, Tamaki pulls me away from the table where I'm helping Haruhi clean up the tea sets. "So how was it? Did you like the club?"

"Sure, it was fun." The beginning was kind of rocky, but I after a while I got the hang of flirting with the customers and I started having fun discussing their high-profile lives. All the ballrooms and arranged marriages these people had made them seem like they were living between the covers of a fairytale.

"I'm glad to hear it!" Tamaki wipes his brow free of some imaginary sweat or something. "Now sit down, princess. I have something to give you on behalf of the whole host club."

Before I can make a single move, Hikaru pulls out a chair and Kaoru gently ushers me down into it. They both wear the same identical expression - not a smirk, but a soft, true smile - the kind of look that could make your heart skip a beat if you saw it too often. For the first time since I've met the two of them, I really and truly believe that they could both be gentlemen if they actually wanted to.

I turn away before either one can catch me staring. _Nope, not staring. Observing. Just observing my two gorgeous classmates._

Mori makes his way over with Honey on his shoulders, while Kyoya and Haruhi come closer to stand on either side of Tamaki. When everyone is settled in front of me, Tamaki pulls something out from behind his back (wait, what? he wasn't holding anything a second ago, where did it come from?): a huge bouquet of long-stemmed roses. With an angelic smile that I recognize as his 'hosting expression', he picks one out and offers it to me carefully, so that the thorns stay clear of my hands.

"This is called a 'Dream Come True' rose. It is famous for its multicolored petals and large, flawless blossoms. We believe this rose suits you as a host."

The rose is indeed beautiful, a soft yellow color that darkens to ruby-red at its tips. _Do they really think this rose represents me?_ If I could blush, I'd be the color of my hair right now.

Tamaki hands me the bouquet. "Th-Thanks," I stutter.

Kyoya pushes up his glasses once again. "Now that you've received your rose, you are officially a member of the host club. No slacking off or coming late." I'm still vaguely annoyed at him for catching me making a fool out of myself, but I nod anyway.

"Hear that, Kaoru? We get another doll to play with."

"I can't wait to mess with her." _Did I really just think these two little devils were gentlemen?_

"I think it's going to be fun to have Ari-chan around! What do you think, Takashi?"

"Hn."

"Let's get through this together, okay Ariel?" Haruhi asks, giving me a slender white hand.

I don't even have to hesitate before I take it.

XXIX

Kyoya

_**STUDENT RECORDS**_

NAME: ARIEL THERESE AMSEL

BIRTH DATE: SEPTEMBER 21, 1998

AGE: 16

HEIGHT: 167.6 CM

WEIGHT: 58 KG

EYES: BLUE

HAIR: RED

ADDRESS: _-ACCESS DENIED-_

_What? Access denied? Since when can access be denied to an Ootori?_

I scroll down the record sheet on my computer to find more information on the newest member of the host club.

ARREST RECORD: _-ACCESS DENIED-_

BACKGROUND INFORMATION: _-ACCESS DENIED-_

FAMILY: _-ACCESS DENIED-_

STUDENT REGISTRATION NUMBER: _-ACCESS DENIED-_

CLASS SCHEDULE: _-ACCESS DENIED-_

RELATIONSHIP STATUS: _-ACCESS DENIED-_

Annoyed, I quickly skim through the next few pages of text, only to find that any information of use has been blocked from my view. So far, my various searches on Ariel have been fruitless. The Ootori family may have an extensive information network, but evidently the Amsels have the resources to keep their secrets well hidden. Despite literal hours of searching, I still remain in the dark about almost everything I want to find.

Ariel's sister, Aurora, was a famous actress and fashion icon, but there is a suspicious lack of news coverage of her death. Apart from many articles detailing her accomplishments, there is precious little information whatsoever of the actual circumstances of her demise. I still have no idea why Ariel moved to Japan six months after her sister's death, or even how Aurora died in the first place.

_Would Akito tell me anything? There__'__s no doubt he knows how his wife died and why he brought his sister-in-law here, but he__'__s been fairly protective of her since she arrived__… It__'__s not likely that he would tell me anything._

I sigh and lean back in my chair. _There__'__s nothing to do but keep looking._

XXIX

A/N: Fourth chapter is finished! I feel like this one went kind of slowly and it's a lot shorter than the last one, but that's how it goes. Next chapter will be up soon, and it's going to be a good one (hopefully). I have it planned out, and I was wondering if any of you wanted a summary, unless you think that would spoil the surprise?

Fun Fact #4: I figure since I did Patronus last time, why not do Hogwarts house? Ariel's Hogwarts house is Gryffindor.

About the Author: My Hogwarts house is Slytherin, lol. BTW, I got both of these results from an online quiz. I'm actually surprised that I'm not a Ravenclaw, but that I got into Slytherin isn't so surprising.

Please review, favorite and follow! Every review is a little push to keep writing!


	5. Moon River

twentynine

Chapter 5

Moon River

**A/N: Hey guys, it's a new chapter! I finished this one ahead of schedule because I was on vacation and there was a lot of sitting with nothing to do and no internet. Luckily I was plenty occupied with this chapter, which I had a lot of fun writing.**

**This chapter has some brief NSFW stuff. There's nothing real, just a quick little thought. Very tame, in my opinion. You've seen worse. However, if you really hate all things related to sex, I would recommend you to skip over the scene where she's dancing with Hikaru.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own **_**OHSHC**_**, nor any of the other copyrighted things that I mention in this chapter.**

**Also important: this chapter has a lot of dancing in it, and I'm the first to admit that my knowledge of dance is limited to a semester of Dance that I took freshman year, so don't expect my descriptions of the technical aspects to be all that accurate. It's the thought that counts, right?**

XXIX

_Dear Aurora,_

_Believe it or not, I'm having fun at school. Okay, you can let your laughter subside. It's true. I actually like private school in Japan. I still know almost nothing of the language, though I have a tutor who's trying to change that. I still can't leave the house without supervision in case I get lost and don't know how to ask for directions._

_So… the whole "school is fun" thing. I get it, you're dying to know what -or who- made me change my ways. I guess I made friends really fast somehow. Kyoya is in a 'host club', where he and 5 other guys (and one girl, but I'll get into that later) dress up in costumes and entertain girls. Don't worry, it's completely innocent. There's no touching or anything. It's just a bunch of ridiculously hot rich boys fulfilling rich girls' fantasies, and surprisingly enough, these rich girls have pretty tame fantasies._

_The members are all pretty interesting people. The club's 'king', Tamaki Suoh, is quite a character. He's pretty hot at first sight, but once you actually get to know him he's more cute than hot, kind of like a golden retriever puppy. He has amazing eyes though. They're really dark blue, almost violet. He has no chill and he thinks of the host club as his family (but I think he might have a crush on this girl Haruhi or something. It's really complicated)._

_There's also Takashi Morinozuka, who may or may not be the hottest guy in the club. He's 6'4" and he is _cut_. It takes a special kind of effort not to stare at him constantly. And you know I have a thing for tall guys? It doesn't hurt when a guy is super tall, strong, tan, and he looks as good in a suit as he does shirtless. Yes, I've seen him shirtless - you should see some of the costumes the host club wears. Mori is really close to his cousin, Honey, who's also in the club. Honey is 18, but he looks like a elementary school kid. He's very cute and he has a stuffed bunny, Usa-chan, that he takes everywhere. He really likes cake, to the point where I've seen him put away an entire cake in minutes. It would be scary if he wasn't so adorable._

_The last two guys are twins, Kaoru and Hikaru Hitachiin. They're in my grade, and they're also in most of my classes, which is a mixture of fun and annoying. They're very fun-loving and a bit devious, to the point where they really like to mess with Haruhi, me, and especially Tamaki. They're so identical that only Haruhi can tell them apart. They're both very attractive, but they're both so wrapped up in each other (and Haruhi) that they're completely inept socially._

_The only girl is Haruhi, the most normal out of the bunch. Well, aside from the fact that she wears the male uniform to school and everyone who's not in the host club thinks she's a man. People have to think she's a guy in order for her to keep working at the host club. She's fairly calm and she _really_ likes to eat, which probably comes from her growing up in a lower-middle class family (she's at Ouran on a scholarship). She's really smart and easy to talk to. I think I like her the most out of all the people in the club._

_The reason I want you to know all this is because I… might have joined the host club. It's fun, and the people I talk to are interesting. I think you'd get it._

_My birthday's coming up, in like three weeks. The sweet sixteen. I'm probably not going to do anything because no one here knows it. I really wish you could be here. I knew you had plans for my birthday. You wanted to have a huge party and invite the whole school, take me to get my license and buy me a car or something. I wish you could have done all those things, not because I wanted a big fancy party or anything but because I know you loved to throw them. It makes me sick to know that you'll never get to do the things you love anymore. I'm sorry._

_Your sister,_

_Ariel_

XXIX

I've barely pressed the doorbell button when the door to the enormous mansion is opened and I'm ushered inside and up the stairs. I'm no stranger to fancy housing, but I have to admit, the Hitachiin mansion is pretty nice. It vaguely reminds me of the main Amsel family estate in Germany. I haven't visited in over a year, but I can still recognize similarities in the designs. The butler escorts me upstairs to what is presumably one of the twins' rooms, as both of them are sitting on one bed.

Haruhi is already there, looking uncharacteristically feminine in a pure white dress and a long black wig. I wasn't exactly sure what prompted to make herself up, seeing as we're both at the Hitachiin mansion to work on a group presentation on ancient Ghana, but hey - I'm all for people dressing however they want. "You look nice."

She rolls her doe-like eyes. "I had no choice in the matter. These two insisted on dressing me up."

I set my bag down and settle into an empty chair. "What? Why?"

"For the party," says one of the twins. They're dressed identically in charcoal gray with hats concealing their hair. "Haruhi wasn't dressed appropriately."

"Neither are you, for that matter," says the other with a wicked grin.

"I'm dressed fine. And what party are you talking about? Aren't we here to work on the project?"

"Apparently it was just a pretense to get us here," Haruhi sighs.

The twins look unashamed. "It worked, didn't it?"

"If we're not going to work on school stuff, I'm out of here. I don't feel like going to a party."

Before I can pick up my bag, the twins make some kind of signal and two equally identical maids appear seemingly out of the woodwork and hook my arms with theirs. "[Would you like for us to get her ready?]"

"[Yes. Use the dress we picked out earlier,]" one of the twins (who I am now glaring at forcefully) instructs.

"[And the shoes,]" says the other.

Despite my (rather colorful) protests, the two maids drag me into a dressing room and tell me to keep still and hold my arms out. After some fruitless resistance, I reluctantly comply, all the while muttering curses at the twins under my breath.

First they sit me down and dust me in shimmering makeup. In the absence of a mirror I don't know what I look like, but given that they're employed by a famous fashion designer, I'm not too worried about them messing it up. When they're satisfied with my face, they pull me up and whip off my clothes faster than I can blink. Bunches of soft fabric flutter around my bare body and the maids carefully adjust clouds of pale grey to sit against my frame. One maid slips a pair of shoes onto my feet and the other pulls a sheet off of a full-length mirror in the corner of the room.

When I see myself in the mirror, I have to smile. I may not want to go to the party, but I don't mind being dressed up. My facial bone structure has been perfected with light contouring and my eyes are emphasized with metallic silver. Around my neck is an obsidian choker with a white opal in the center and strings of black beads that rest around my collar bones. The dress is light gray satin and has a fluffy knee-length skirt with over a separate petticoat. My favorite part of the outfit is the shoes - frosted glass heels lined in velvet and decorated with intricate silver patterning.

"Wow." I finger the choker and pat the puffy skirt. I've been Ariel for 15 years. Tonight I get to be Cinderella.

XXIX

"You look even better than I thought you would," comments the twin escorting me down the stairs to his mother's Black and White Ball.

I decide to take that as a compliment. "Thanks. You look pretty nice yourself. Umm, y'know… I can't really tell you apart, and I don't know…"

He laughs out loud. "I'm Kaoru, if that's what you're asking."

I'm glad I don't have the ability to blush. "Sorry, it's just, you two are really identical, especially when I can't see your hair."

"It's okay. Haruhi's the only one outside the family who can tell us apart."

"Really? No one else has ever told you apart?"

Kaoru shakes his head. "It's always been Hikaru and me, so it was really surprising when she told us apart for the first time."

"I can't imagine." When we make it to the dance floor, Kaoru pulls me into a spirited tango that uses every little flourish that I learned in dance class years ago. I have to keep my mind on the movement to stay in time with Kaoru. "You're good at this!" I giggle as he dips me and pulls me up in a single fluid movement.

"Hikaru's and my mother used to make us take dance lessons when we were kids!" Kaoru shouts over the loud music.

"Mine too, but I never minded. I loved to dance, even if I was terrible at it!"

"I felt the same way!" He pull me close enough for the satin of my dress to swish against _his_ thighs. I relish the glint of his white teeth and his smooth hands against mine. It's been a long time since I've danced like this.

The music increases in volume and tempo until I'm sweating through the layers of expensive fabric. I'm glad the dress is sleeveless or else I'd have major pit stains. Still, I can't stop smiling. The music feels like it's traveling under the marble ballroom floor through my pretty glass shoes and into my nervous system, pulling me across the room and making my skin dance as quickly as my feet. Dancing the tango with Kaoru feels like running with the bulls in Madrid or maybe the single moment when the roller coaster hangs at the top of the precipice, waiting to fall. Somehow it involves perfect, implicit trust, and in this moment I trust Kaoru to the ends of my being, even though I've only known him for a weeks.

There's something about dancing that shows off the truth in a person. I think I like the truth in Kaoru. I hope he likes the truth in me.

When the song is over we look at each other, trying to catch our breath, and then simultaneously burst into laughter. "That was fun." he says, wiping off his forehead with the back of his hand.

"You should try it in heels," I giggle and swipe my bangs out of my eyes.

"Mind if I try to find Hikaru? I think he's off with Haruhi somewhere."

I wave a hand. "Go ahead. I think I'm going to take a breather." As Kaoru weaves through the crowds in search of his twin, I plop down in a seat in front of a display of food, all in black and white to match the theme of the ball.

"Mother really goes all out, doesn't she?" says a voice from across the table.

"Hikaru?"

He just smirks in response.

"Kaoru's looking for you."

Hikaru puts a finger to his lips and leans in closer. "He's really just looking for Haruhi. He wants to get at least one dance out of her while she's still dressed like a girl."

"Really?" Hikaru nods. "I guess you know him better than I do."

"Hey, Ari-chan!" a high pitched voice reaches me and I see Honey and Mori approach from behind me.

"What are you guys doing? Wait, is the whole club here?"

Hikaru nods. "Tamaki made Kyoya come. Kyoya doesn't really like to dance unless he has to, so it must have taken some convincing."

Indeed, I can see Kyoya sitting across the ballroom looking annoyed as hell. Considering the efforts he went to so he could avoid going out with Tamaki last weekend, it seems like he got roped into this as much as Haruhi and I did, except that I'm having fun dancing, and he's just sitting alone with a scowl on his face.

_Maybe I should go over there… nope_. Despite my efforts to become friends, it still seems like Kyoya doesn't like me, so I won't push the matter. Instead I offer my hand to Honey, who is polishing off a slice of cake. "Wanna dance?"

Honey and I may not be dancing 'in rhythm' per se, but it's still a blast. The two of us twirl around, carefree, oblivious of our surroundings. The song the band plays is much too slow and solemn to be dancing like this, but my hair is whipping around my head and my skirt is bouncing up _just_ high enough to show thigh but not ass - and it's the most giddy kind of fun, so I keep spinning and spinning until the ground tilts with me and I know any more spinning is going to result in me either getting a headache or losing my lunch.

Even though I'm not moving anymore, the earth is still swirling around me and there's nothing to grab onto. Just as I lose my footing and I'm about to trip, a strong arm pulls me up and steadies me. I fix a wobbly grin at Mori's stern face. "My savior."

The natural course of action seems to be to offer him a dance, which he takes me up on. Luckily the next song is mid-tempo and with Mori, there is no twirling involved. He leads me through the steps and I enjoy feeling his subtle strength through his movement. It's kind of amazing to feel completely safe in another person's grasp. I have the urge to rest my head against his collarbone and maybe fall asleep or something, which I quell because that would be hella creepy. At this point, I make the decision to dance with every other member of the host club. Three down, four to go, right?

Mori and I dance calmly for one more song before I go off to find the other members of the host club.

Tamaki and Haruhi each have a unique style of dancing. Tamaki, I learn, dances incredibly formally. He moves through each step carefully, with his arms at the perfect height, leaving plenty of room for Jesus between the two of us. The way he dances is such an odd contrast from his bright, enthusiastic personality that I have to wonder if he's hiding something. Since he, like many of the hosts, was born to a wealthy family, he must have taken dance lessons at a young age, right? If he had, he wouldn't have to think about the movement. It's not like I can dance perfectly without any effort whatsoever, but it seems like Tamaki doesn't know the steps by heart like I would expect him to.

Haruhi is… not very good at ballroom dancing. Since we're both ladies, I take the lead as the taller of the two of us and she follows (in a loose sense of the word). As I attempt to guide her into the appearance of decorum, she stumbles over my feet, her own feet, and what seems to be absolutely nothing. I can't help it - every time she trips a little I chuckle at her expression: always a mixture of frustration and disbelief. At first she glares at me for being entertained, but then she gives in to a bright smile. When Haruhi smiles, it's not difficult to see why the guys in the club are so enamored with her.

"Let me guess - you never learned ballroom dancing growing up?"

Haruhi shakes her head. "I never really lived in a position where knowing how to dance was that important. I learned a little a while back for a club event, but I'm still not very good at it."

"Did you learn how to lead rather than follow?"

"Yeah. Everyone thinks I'm a guy, so…"

I pull her arms forward so we can change direction, and her soft white dress floats up in the air like a cloud around an angel. "If you wanted to learn, you could probably take a course at Ouran for gym credit."

She shakes her head and the wig swishes from left to right. "I can't take a gym class at Ouran, or else someone would find out my secret. Besides, it wouldn't be a useful skill for me in the real world."

Wow, she's blunt. But I like that about her. "What if you're invited to a party like this one?"

"I probably won't once I leave Ouran. I plan to be a lawyer, like my mom was."

I want to ask about her mom, but I notice the use of past tense and decide to let the matter rest. "Aren't you going to stay friends with the club once you graduate? You'll definitely be invited to parties. Or what if you marry a high-society boy? You'll have to go to these things all the time."

"Why would a rich person want to marry me?"

She really is oblivious to the attention she receives, platonic and otherwise. I twirl her around once more before the song ends and then excuse myself to find Hikaru, because he and Kyoya were the only ones left on my 'to dance with' list and I'm not sure where I stand with Kyoya. Are we friends? Do I annoy him? Does he annoy me? Who knows?

I catch sight of the characteristic Hitachiin brownish-ginger hair and head over, only to find (instead of the teenage boy I was looking for) an intimidatingly beautiful woman in her thirties. She turns toward me and quirks her perfectly-groomed eyebrows. "[Are you one of Hikaru and Kaoru's school friends?]"

"Sorry ma'am, I don't speak Japanese," I say in my politest voice because I have to assume that she is the twins mother (although she looks quite young) and is thus my host.

"Oh, you're the Amsel girl! The boys told me you were coming. I'm their mother. It's nice to meet you."

"You too." I awkwardly lean on a chair. I'm not really good with parents. "So this is your ball?"

"Yes. I have one every year. My Black and White Ball is quite famous. The guest list is very exclusive, but your family… You would have no trouble getting in even without the boys' help." She looks me up and down. "You're wearing one of my designs, aren't you? It really looks marvelous. I have certainly outdone myself this year, no?"

Struggling to keep up with her quick words, it takes me a moment to reply. "Yeah, it's gorgeous. Thanks for letting me borrow these things tonight. I've had a great time."

"You're welcome. Although… your hair really does stand out, doesn't it? Quite an odd thing to see that shade of red at this event, of all places."

She's right. Though I hadn't noticed it yet, I can see now that my hair is indeed quite bright, considering every ounce of decoration in this ballroom is some shade between black and white. Many of the other guests have their hair on display, but none of theirs is quite as unnaturally colored as mine. "Sorry?"

"No need to apologize, dear. It's spectacular."

A little confused, I just smile and excuse myself to find Hikaru. She tells me that he's near the open bar (though of course, not imbibing).

After a bit of meandering I find him fiddling with the straw of some fruity virgin drink. I sit down on the stool next to him and order a Coke, reminiscing about the days of my freshman year in high school when I would visit my sister's apartment in Westwood. We used to have 'girl nights' when Akito was out of town - we would go out and get greasy Mexican food and then she would make margaritas so we could get buzzed while watching shitty horror movies on the huge flatscreen TV in her and Akito's bedroom. Somehow she always served exactly the right amount of alcohol so that the rough edges on our privileged lives were smoothed out, but when we woke up there was no pounding headache, no hangover.

It still hurts to think about how perfect she was. Sometimes I wonder if the universe conspired to give her a life that stayed at the tiny 'jackpot' portion of the wheel of fortune for 23 years, only to let it all fall apart in just one day. It was too cruel. The world was a fucking bitch.

My throat itches and I wish I could order a drink stronger than Coke.

"You okay, Ari?"

"Fine, I'm fine." I take a big gulp of Coke and let a piece of ice melt in my mouth, freezing my taste buds. Thinking about Aurora has taken the wind out of my sails on the dancing front. "You are Hikaru, right?"

He looks surprised. "How did you know?"

"Your mom pointed you out. I know she can tell you two apart, I'm just not sure I can."

"You'd be the first." He shrugs. "Well, the second."

"That reminds me - how _does_ Haruhi tell you apart?"

"I'm not sure. She says I'm more ornery than Kaoru."

Despite my good(ish) intentions, I feel a smirk growing on my face even as Hikaru looks troubled. "Do you think you're any more ornery than Kaoru?"

"I don't think so. It's hard to tell, because it's always just the two of us. I am the older brother, so you'd think he'd be the less mature one."

"You're older?"

"Only by a few seconds, but still." He quickly drains the pretty tropical drink and pushes it away. "Care for a dance?"

I didn't even have to ask. "My pleasure."

Dancing with Hikaru is just like dancing with Kaoru, except for those tiny little moments when he'll move just an _inch_ past where I expected him and I'll have adjust myself to keep up. When I was doing the tango with Kaoru I trusted him beyond what was rational, the kind of trust that can't be manufactured.

With Hikaru… it's not like I don't trust him, but I just feel like he's a little more unpredictable. He's keeping me on my toes, both literally and figuratively.

I wonder what it would be like to have sex with each of them. I bet Kaoru would be very sweet and caring, attending to my desires, while Hikaru might be a little rougher, a little wilder. Both different styles would definitely be very pleasing.

What would it be to do them both… _concurrently_? A brief vision flashes through my mind. Sweat. Bodies. Steamy breath playing across my skin. Hickeys on my neck. My fingernails scraping across a naked back. Noises of passion vibrating across my skin…

I pull myself out of the fantasy before it can go any further.

_Holy shit._

_Holy fucking shit, I just fantasized about the twins._

_A _threesome_ with the twins._

How did I of all people get pulled into their 'brotherly love' bullshit? Even though it was kind of hot, I want to throw up. I'm so embarrassed that I can't look Hikaru in the eye for the rest of the dance.

Well, it cost me my dignity, but at least I've danced with six out of the seven other host club members. The only one left is Kyoya. The Shadow King. The Cool Type. Why should it make me so nervous just to ask him to dance? I'm not asking for his hand in marriage.

Then again, he's made no secret of the fact that he doesn't really like me. Oh fine, he's been civil enough, but there's no real friendship there. How he got to be so close to the Host Club, I'm not sure. The 'Cool Type' is an understatement: the boy is colder than a nun's bed on a Sunday. I've made a good few attempts at friendship, and he's never responded with much more than a kind of 'your family is rich so the two of us need to stay on good terms but other than that I could care less about what you're saying to me right now' kind of disinterest. Any more attention spent on him and he might think I'm into him or some bullshit.

I guess I can kinda see why he's been rejecting my friendship… no wait, I can't. I'm an absolute delight, and he should count himself lucky to have me trying to form a bond with him.

I'm about to leave my seat and stomp out of the ballroom indignantly before someone sits down next to me.

"Had enough dancing?" says a smooth voice from my left. I turn and… yep, it's the Shadow King. I resist the urge to roll my eyes at my bad luck - I'd literally just decided to give up being nice to Kyoya, and now here he is.

"You're one to talk. You haven't stepped onto the dance floor all night." I retort.

"You've been watching me?"

I shrug. "Just a guess."

"I suppose I haven't really been in the mood to dance. I've been mingling all night, so I didn't have a chance."

"That's really a… a shame…" I stumble over my words and my vision winks out for a second. _What the fuck?_

"Ariel? Are you all right?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. I think I'm gonna go get some fresh air though. And uh-" I turn to the bartender. "-Can I get a glass of water?" The man nods and pours me a glass from a bottle of spring water. It takes me a moment to fully grasp the glass in my suddenly sweaty palms, and I clutch it carefully as I make my way toward the balcony.

"Here, give it to me." Kyoya hold his hand out, expectant. After a moment of confusion, I give him the cold glass of water. He gently hooks his free arm with mine and guides me to the balcony. "Are you really alright?"

"Yeah, I don't know what came over me. I just felt dizzy for a second."

"Here, sit down."

_Look who's suddenly a gentleman._ "I think I'm good standing."

"You're probably tired from dancing so much. Sit down."

Commands were meant to be ignored. "You've been watching me?"

"Just a guess. Sit down, unless you want to faint."

Fainting was for ladies in the classical age who wore corsets and powdered wigs. "Just one more dance, okay? A slow one."

I've come to realize that it's not only when he's plotting that Kyoya adjusts his glasses - sometimes he's just exasperated. "Why another dance?"

At this point there is a little dizziness settling in. "You're the only one I haven't danced with."

"What do you mean, the only one?" When I neglect to answer, he adjusts his glasses once more. "Fine, one dance. But be slow. I don't want you vomiting on me or something."

_Crude language, anyone?_ "Slowly then." Inside, the band is playing something quick and jumpy, but Kyoya guides me to a different, music-less beat.

"_One_. Two. Three. _One_. Two. Three." _A waltz_, my woozy brain informs me. Kyoya pulls me through the slow movements but my head is elsewhere.

Years and years ago, when I learned to waltz, I would never perform to any music except "Moon River". When I was a kid, I was obsessed with _Breakfast at Tiffany's_. I loved Audrey Hepburn's effortless style, her grace, her magnificent luck (good and bad), and her low, sweet voice.

Before I know it, I'm singing softly under my breath.

Surprise reflects in Kyoya's eyes for a moment, and then recognition. "_Breakfast at Tiffany's_?"

"How did you know?"

"I saw the movie once on a flight."

He continues to guide me through the waltz and I continue to sing. "Two drifters, off to see the world…" A ⅜ turn. "...there's such a lot of world to see…" A whisk.

After a short while it's just the two of us. The world inside the ballroom still exists, but it seems like the entire world consists of me and Kyoya waltzing and my voice singing "Moon River".

And then, too soon, it's over. The last notes of the song drip out of my mouth and then it ends, and we're not dancing anymore. We stay standing in the last position of the dance and he looks straight into my eyes, no hesitation. I'm captivated by his pale profile against the canvas of a brilliant night sky, dotted with the kind of stars you don't see in smoggy LA.

The pathway lights from the courtyard below us illuminate half of Kyoya's face. The long black eyelashes that women would pay good money for, the sculpted features from many, many generations of fine breeding, all of it pulls me into him. His usually tame black hair is ruffled a bit and his tie is a little loose, but he looks the most beautiful I've ever seen him.

After a long moment of silence, Kyoyalooks down and to the side, hand over mouth, eyes wide in what looks like... surprise? _Why is he surprised? What did I do?_

When he regains his composure, he stalks off of the balcony and plucks his phone out of his pocket. "Devereaux? Yes, I'd like for you to pick me up at the Hitachiin residence. Ariel's here too. Yes, I'll tell them." He hangs up the phone. "Devereaux is picking us up. If you don't mind, I have to excuse myself. My bodyguards will be wondering where I am."

He doesn't look at me for the rest of the night, but I still know something happened. I'm just not sure what.

XXIX

Kyoya

Blue.

Since when were her eyes blue?

I always thought they were just gray. On her student data sheet it said blue, but I assumed there was a mistake. After all, her eyes have always appeared gray to me.

But now… I can't stop remembering it. Looking into her eyes for some reason after she made me dance with her, I saw it.

Her eyes are somehow the softest, softest blue, like the color of rays of sunlight through the water of an ocean.

I push up my glasses. How is it that I never noticed before? And, more importantly, why is it bothering me so much?

XXIX

**A/N: Eee! Development between our main characters! They're nowhere near "twoo wuv" at this point, but at least there's some interest. I wouldn't say a fire has been set between them, or even that there are sparks flying, but they both are kind of sensing the presence of a candle.**

**What kind of candle, you ask?**

**A candle of LOVE.**

**If you liked this chapter, please, PLEASE review! No review is too small, too vague, or too advice-y! I appreciate it all very much. Sometimes when I'm reading a fanfiction I feel nervous about writing because I'm somehow intimidated by the author. If you've ever felt like that, just know that I put on my bra one boob at a time like anyone else (gotta love **_**Bob's Burgers**_**) and I'm like the dorkiest person I know.**

**Fun Fact #5: Ariel was born in 1998, the year of the Tiger. It kind of fits because she's charming, self-confident, and brave, but she can also be irritable and stubborn. This date doesn't fit in with the dates the manga was published, but I decided to just set it in the timeline of when I first started **_**twentynine**_** for simplicity's sake.**

**About the Author: Since it wouldn't be a good idea to tell the internet my exact age, I'll give you another random fact about me instead: I have been a certified scuba diver since I was 10 years old.**

**Hope you enjoyed! If you did, please review, favorite, and/or follow!**


	6. Black Magic

twentynine

Chapter 6

Black Magic

**A/N: Sorry for the long wait, I've been busy with health problems (it's actually hard-ish to type right now due to weird muscle stuff), school, and a great trip to Sweden! I have finals coming up in 2-3 weeks, so I might not update until after then, but during the summer you can definitely expect updates more often, so yay for free time and future boredom!**

**Disclaimer: I own neither **_**OHSHC**_**, nor any of the other copyrighted things referenced in this chapter.**

XXIX

Kyoya

This airport is fairly busy. Crowds of people wash by, all headed to one gate or another. A few of them stop by the small airport cafe near where I'm sitting to grab a cup of coffee or a quick sandwich, but no one is sitting in the tables of the food court like I am. Outside the huge panoramic windows to my right, I assume there's a storm brewing, because the only things I can see are thick walls of fog and the occasional crack of lightning.

I wonder why the flights are still running with the bad weather. Perhaps the storm is isolated to just a small area?

With the huge panes of glass looking out into the fog, the airport almost looks like the one in Seattle, in the United States, but this layout is flatter and more open. Everyone who isn't working behind a counter is rushing around. _Are none of them on layover?_ Though I generally choose to travel by private jet, I know that in normal circumstances, seats at a food court in a busy airport would never be so open.

The cashier at the cafe leans over to speak to me. "You waiting for someone?"

I open my mouth to tell her no, but I have an odd feeling that there _is_ someone I'm waiting for. "I think so."

"She's not coming. Not yet," the cashier remarks.

I look at him sideways, but before I have a chance to question his statement, a loud voice rings through the P.A. system. "WAKE UP, KYOYA! YOU LITTLE-"

My return to reality is less than pleasant, what with all the shaking and the loud shouting. As the odd airport dream fades away, the image of Ariel, glaring and shaking me awake by the collar of my shirt, enters my vision.

I calmly pull her hand off of my shirt. "What do you want?"

Her eyes flash. I try not to look too hard, because whenever I notice their faint blue color, the feeling of... whatever I felt that night at the ball rushes back over me. It's unnerving.

"Did you look into my student records?!"

I stand up out of the chair that I was napping in and look down at her. "I did appropriate research for the sake of the club."

Her jaw drops open in fury. "How dare you? I told you I didn't want to be researched!"

"I am under no obligation to follow your orders. Besides, I didn't find anything of importance."

She makes a loud noise of indignation. "You still violated my privacy!"

"What about you, coming into my bedroom and waking me up without permission? Who let you in here?"

Tachibana, who is standing in the corner looking remorseful, finally speaks up. "[I'm sorry, sir. I couldn't stop her. I tried to tell her you were sleeping, but she was… relentless. I didn't think she'd do you any harm.]"

I sigh in annoyance. "Please escort Miss Amsel back to the guest house."

"No way! You're going to listen to me, or I'm not leaving and you won't get a wink of sleep for the next week."

There's already a splitting migraine forming on the edge of my skull due to her shouting, and despite my desire to remain calm, I can feel a coil of anger forming in my stomach. "Fine."

She steps forward and pokes me in the chest. "You are not going to 'research' me any longer, you hear me? If you do, I will _ruin_ you."

I smirk coldly. "Isn't threatening violence below someone like an Amsel?"

Ariel returns my expression, pulling her lips back into a smile that doesn't contain an ounce of mirth. "Nope, not violence. I won't hurt you, not physically. But I will make sure my family pulls all of its support from the Ootori group. Good luck becoming the head of your company when you're responsible for its bankruptcy."

Seething, I pull back from her blazing blue-grey glare and settle into the chair I'd been napping in peacefully only a few minutes ago. Would she really-? No, I doubt her parents would give up a close business ally just because their teenage daughter demanded it, but I can't risk even a tiny chance of becoming an enemy of the Amsels. "I will… refrain from researching you unless it becomes necessary."

"No. No 'unless it becomes necessary'.You don't get to snoop around whenever you please just because you think it's 'necessary'. If you need to know something about me, you can _ask_ like like a decent human being! God, you're so- ugh!"

She stomps out, each heavy footfall echoing through the room. I suppress the urge to run after her and put her in her place. Why should she care if I research her background? It doesn't hurt her at all. I am simply looking out for the club, for Tamaki and Haruhi and the others, no harm intended. By the way she reacted, I can only assume that she has something to hide that could potentially be dangerous - a secret that I'll never find out if I don't research her... but then there's the threat of leaving the good graces of the Amsels. The only thing to do is wait for a chance to gather more information without upsetting her.

Tachibana comes up out of the corner. "[I apologize for letting her wake you up. She's rather spirited, isn't she?]"

"[Too much so, in my opinion. You can leave now, I'm just going to work on homework.]" He bows and leaves the room.

Spirited… that's one way to put it. Whatever Ariel is trying to hide, I won't let it harm the Ootori group.

Or the host club.

XXIX

"[Phone for you, Ootori-sama.]" Bowing, a frilly-aproned maid presents me with a telephone on a silver platter. I wave her away and pick up the phone.

"[Yes?]"

"_[Is this Kyoya?]"_ Akito's voice pours from the phone.

"[Yes. Why didn't you call my mobile if you wanted to speak?]"

"_[You don't pick up for me.]"_ That was true enough. Though Akito rarely calls me these days, in the time before he went to America he used to call and text much too often to check up on my whereabouts and pester me about quitting the host club.

"[What do you want?]" I ask, not especially kindly.

"_[I heard you're investigating into Ariel's background.]"_

"[No need for a lecture. Ariel made it clear that I wouldn't be doing that again.]"

"_[Well, let me reinforce the point. Ariel is like a sister to me, and if you're doing something to upset her-]"_

"[You do realize that you and I are actually brothers?]"

He scoffs into the phone. _"[You know we weren't raised to be close to one another. Everything's a competition with you and that's fine, just keep Ariel away from it.]"_ The line clicks and I'm left with even more curiosity than before with no way to abate it.

XXIX

Ariel

By the time we get back to school on Monday, my anger at Kyoya has cooled off a little bit, but I still don't want to see him again. His perfect, gorgeous face in a sexy smirk- ahem, I mean- his smug, entitled face is just begging for a bright red slap mark. Maybe I overreacted when I woke him up and yelled at him on Saturday, but he seemed completely unremorseful when I confronted him.

I have things I want to keep private, just like anyone. I'm lucky enough to have a rich family behind me that gives me the power to keep my secrets, well, secret. But Kyoya - Kyoya is smart. It's possible he could get past those walls, and then try to use my past against me, like he did with Haruhi. Well, I'm not going to stand by and let that happen. I kind of feel bad for the threat I made against his family, but I just don't trust him.

Classes ended minutes ago and by instinct, I'm heading toward music room #3, but I rethink my decision as I walk. Maybe I should go home. I won't have a good time at the club if I'm just trying to stay away from Kyoya the whole time.

"Ariel!" I turn and see Haruhi jogging to catch up to me on her shorter legs. She's flanked by the twins, like two identical bodyguards.

"Hey. Headed to the host club?"

"Yeah. What about you? I heard you got into it with Kyoya this weekend."

"What?" the twins ask in unison.

"What were you arguing about?" asks Kaoru.

I shrug. "Him prying into my business and researching me, mostly. Y'know what, guys, I think I'm going to pass on club today. I don't really want to see him."

Haruhi nods sympathetically. "I know how you feel. I get annoyed when he does stuff like talk to my dad, but there's nothing I can do about it."

"Well, I don't think he'll do it again. I kinda threatened him."

"You should make up with him soon. All that frowning is going to give you wrinkles," says Hikaru from next to Haruhi.

"Shut up. I'm not getting wrinkles," I say, but I quickly relax my face nonetheless.

Suddenly the twins' and Haruhi's expressions change and they stare at something over my shoulder. "Wha-"

A thin, white hand creeps up my arm. "Hello, Ariel…"

For a second a chill runs up my spine and my hair stands on end until I see the silhouette of a cat puppet out of the corner of my eye. "Nekozawa?"

I turn and he's there, in all his oversized-black-cloak photophobic glory. The two of us have developed and easy friendship over the past three weeks during Pre-Cal. The fact that the teacher is utterly terrified of Nekozawa means that he doesn't comment when Nekozawa and I talk during class. I tell him about the hijinks I used to get up to with my less-than-studious friends in America and he tells me about the Black Magic club and his beloved little sister. For a guy who's all about darkness and evil, he's very sweet when it comes to her.

"Today you are not going to the host club, correct?" he asks in that creepy way of his.

"Correct."

"Would you like to come to the Black Magic club instead?"

Thinking about it for a moment, it doesn't seem like a bad idea. I've never been, so I won't know what to expect, but I can't see myself getting very scared - I'm not all that superstitious. "Sure, why not?"

The room where the Black Magic club meets is just adjacent to music room #3, but it looks vastly different. There are dozens of black and blood red hangings covering the walls, and the only light comes from black candelabras decorated with strings of dark crystal. The other club members, dressed in identical black cloaks, lounge around on spindly gothic chairs that don't look at all comfortable.

As Nekozawa and I enter the room, a pale girl approaches the two of us. "[Who is this?]"

Nekozawa never drops his eerie grin. "[This is Ariel Amsel. She is a transfer student from America, so we should speak in English around her.]"

She sticks a long-fingered hand toward me. "It's a pleasure to meet you. Are you joining the Black Magic club?"

"Probably not. I'm just hanging out here today." Her delicate features are somehow familiar, so I squint at her face until I recognize it. "Aren't you in my art class? And my gym class."

"I suppose so." She sits down at a round table and smooths out her skirt. Among the occult-themed decoration she has the aura of a young, lovely ghost - but the illusion is ruined by the memory of her panting and out of breath in gym class after even the least strenuous task. While white skin and long, dark hair may look good under mood lighting, the light of day combined with a curious lack of athleticism makes a rather comical picture. As beautiful as she is, I can't help wanting to giggle a little bit.

The rest of the club members look similar for the most part: pale and thin, good-looking but also somehow fragile. Under the heavy darkness they look comfortable and at home. I can easily sense that they hold power in this environment, even if they're not the most rich or popular outside of it.

Nekozawa offers me a seat at the same glossy black table where the girl is already sitting. The other members slowly pick up from where they were resting and gather around. As one stretches his limbs from beneath his cloak, the others do the same, like a small flock of bats waking from their sleep.

Once they're all sitting, Nekozawa stands in front of the chair to my left and addresses all of us. "Today, the Black Magic club welcomes a special visitor: Ariel Amsel! Since she does not speak Japanese, we should speak in English to accommodate her." He gives a small pause. "I have something special in mind to entertain our guest, but if any of you have suggestions…"

The girl from before is the first to speak up. "I could put a curse on her."

A nervous laugh bubbles out of my mouth. "Uh, no thanks. I think I'd rather stay curse-free."

She shrugs. "We could put a curse on your enemies. Or if you have a crush, I have a few love curses I'd like to try out."

An image of Kyoya flits through my head. _What? Why? Oh right, I'm mad at him. I guess I want to put a curse on him. I definitely don't have a crush on him. Nope. That would not make any sense. I just want to curse him. With a mean curse. Not a… like… love curse. Of course not._

Wait. _When did I even start believing in curses?_

"You look like you have someone in mind," the girls purrs with a knowing smirk.

I give her a _that's-none-of-your-business_ look. "No curses, thank you very much."

"Instead, how about this?" Nekozawa pulls a gleaming white box out of a drawer and sets it on the table. The mood in the room seems to simultaneously quiet down and tense up, a collective bated breath held in anticipation of the contents of the box.

"Is that…?" someone whispers. Nekozawa nods solemnly. From the box he pulls a single thin black candle and what looks like a ouija board.

_Really? A ouija board?_ Although it is an occult item, I associate ouija boards with sleepovers in middle school (hey, I went through a phase. Sue me). However, I keep quiet as Nekozawa lights the candle and places it in a candlestick holder on the edge of the table.

I may have played around with ouija boards in the past, but this one is for sure the most high-class I've ever seen. It's a dark mahogany carved with intricate designs: a smiling sun and a frowning moon, a howling spirit and a shadowed face, all surrounded by symbols that I don't understand. Gilt in sparkling gold are the letters of the english alphabet, along with the words "YES", "NO", "HELLO", and "GOODBYE". The little push-around thingy is shaped like a teardrop and decorated with the image of an open eye.

"Now place two fingers gently… yes," says Nekozawa. Everyone at the table carefully puts their fingers on the surface of the eye. "Ariel?"

I chew my lip. I'm getting a bad feeling from this, but I swallow my fears and place my fingers on the edge of the teardrop.

"Are there any spirits there? We would like to speak to you." Nekozawa's voice is low and almost reverent in its softness.

Aside from the flickering of the candles, the room is completely still. No one moves or speaks; no one even breathes.

The absolute silence makes it easy to hear the scraping.

Once I hear it, I'm too afraid to look directly. Instead I inch my eyes slowly toward the board, irrationally afraid of what I might see.

The teardrop has finished its movement and is stopped at _HELLO._

_That doesn't mean anything. The club members are pushing it. Nekozawa's just putting on a show for me._

"Hello, spirit. What is your name?" Nekozawa is the only one speaking. The rest of us are scared silent.

This time I can feel the teardrop moving under my fingertips. As it crawls across the board, Nekozawa speaks aloud each letter. "R… O… S… E. Your name is Rose?"

It moves to _YES._

"Did you die here?" A shiver runs down my spine. I don't like this. I want to leave, but for some reason I can't move my hand from the teardrop.

_NO._

"Where did you die?"

_A. M. E. R. I. C. A._

I really, really want to leave.

"Why did you contact us?"

_S. H. E. N. E. E. D. S. T. O. K. N. O. W._

I have to leave, I have to get out of here-

"Who is she?"

_S. H. E. H. A. S. T. O. R. E. M. E. M. B. E. R. O. R. E. L. S. E._

"Who has to remember? Who is she?"

The teardrop's movement becomes frantic, spelling out the same words over and over again. Somehow a breeze passes through the room, and the candles flicker erratically.

_S. H. E. H. A. S. T. O. R. E. M. E. M. B. E. R. O. R. E. L. S. E._

_S. H. E. H. A. S. T. O. R. E. M. E. M. B. E. R._

_S. H. E. M. U. S. T. R. E. M. E. M. B. E. R._

_S. H. E. M. U. S. T. R. E. M. E. M. B. E. R._

_S. H. E. M. U. S. T. R. E. M. E. M. B. E. R._

_O. R. E. L. S. E._

_O. R. E. L. S. E. O. R. E. L. S. E. O. R. E. L. S. E. O. R. E. L. S. E. O. R. E. L. S. E. O. R. E. L. S. E. O. R. E. L. S. E. O. R. E. L. S. E._

It stops suddenly, and then, assisted by the many fingers touching it, spells out its last few words with weighty deliberation.

_**S. H. E.**_

_**W. I. L. L.**_

_**L. O. S. E.**_

_**E. V. E. R. Y. T. H. I. N. G.**_

When the last letter is spelled out, the panic scratching at my chest comes to a head and I forcibly push the teardrop to _GOODBYE_ before standing up and blowing out the black candle.

"Ariel?" Nekozawa and the rest of them look up at me, surprised, but I hardly notice. My heart is beating out of my chest and I can't breathe.

_Is… is this a heart attack? Oh god, god oh fuck ohmygod- _My knees collapse under me and I try to push myself against the wall without success.

"Ariel!" Nekozawa rushes toward me. "Are you alright?"

I try to speak, but the words aren't coming out right between my gasps. "…I…I th-think… h-heart… a…attack…"

I vaguely hear Nekozawa curse in Japanese as he kneels down beside me. "You are probably having an anxiety attack, a violent one. I get them when I see bright lights sometimes."

_Oh god I'm gonna die I'm going to fucking die oh fuck- _

"ARIEL! You are going to be fine! You're not dying!" I snap out of my panic and finally look up at Nekozawa. The hood of his cloak has fallen off and his wig is askew, revealing light blonde hair and blue eyes that I've never seen up close. He looks almost as shaken as I feel. For some reason I grab onto his cloak like a lifeline, trying to push away the fear.

"…Don't…don't leave."

He nods and hoists me up. "I am going to take you to the nurse's office, yes?"

"…Okay." I take a few long gulps of air, but my heart's still racing and I can't stand up without Nekozawa's help.

With effort we make our way to the nurse's office, me barely able to stand and him half-dragging me. The nurses, adequately shocked at my sorry appearance, quickly directs us to the resident doctor, because apparently Ouran is the type of school that just has a doctor on hand at all times.

Once we get into the doctor's office, Nekozawa helps me down on the bench and then leans against it. The attack has faded somewhat at this point, and I can't help my embarrassment at all the fuss. I've had anxiety attacks before, ever since…Aurora. This is the first time I've had someone help me through it.

The doctor approaches me, clipboard in hand. "Your friend over there said you had an anxiety attack. Is that right?"

"…Yes."

"Symptoms include dizziness, shortness of breath, unsteady heartbeat, and an uncontrollable feeling of fear. Did you experience any of those?"

"Yeah, the…fear, heartbeat, couldn't breathe."

"Anxiety attacks are often caused in reaction to a stressor, while panic attacks are not. Was there a stressor?"

"Yeah, I guess. Umm…It's stupid." I cast a glance toward Nekozawa. "We were, uh, contacting the dead, and for some reason I thought... well, it reminded me of my- my sister. She... she passed away a few months ago."

Nekozawa isn't facing this way, but I can tell he can hear me by the way he gives a little twitch at my words. "I'm sorry," the doctor says. "I can see why that would be a stressful for you. Have you been diagnosed with any mental disorders?"

Nekozawa cleared his throat. "I think I should wait outside."

I nod silently. Once the door closes behind him, the doctor repeats his question. Shrugging, I reply with the same lie I tell anyone that asks: "I don't know. I never saw a therapist about it." The truth was, I had seen a therapist about it. She'd told me I had PTSD, which was bullshit. How could I have PTSD over something I don't even remember? "Look, can you just make sure I'm okay? It was more violent than usual, but it was over quick and I'm fine now."

The doctor looks apprehensive, but he just checks my physicals and lets me leave. Once I get out of the office into the main area of the Health and Student Services wing (yes, there's a whole wing for that), I'm surprised to see that Nekozawa is still waiting outside for me, well-hidden under his cloak though his wig is gone. "You waited?"

He nods. "You asked me to stay. What did the doctor say?"

"He said I'm fine, I just need to take it easy." I look away, kind of embarrassed that I practically begged him not to leave when I was in the throes of terror. "Thanks for, y'know, going into the light for me." I know Nekozawa doesn't really like brightly-lit places, and this hallway is certainly that. He also doesn't have his wig, which I assume is part of his 'defence' against the light.

"It is alright. I had this-" he waves around the cloak "-and I knew it was necessary to get you to help."

"Thank you, really. I guess you know what it's like to… have an attack."

"Yes. Light is certainly not my strong point."

He smiles in a less-creepy-than-usual way and I giggle along with him. "That's an understatement."

He walks me to the entrance and waits with me for Devereaux to pick me up, mostly consisting of me telling Nekozawa why I hadn't gone to host club and ranting about Kyoya's asshole-ness. More than once he smirks at me in a knowing way, but what it is he thinks he knows I have no clue. For the most part he just lets me complain without interrupting. It was nice, kind of, to have someone to depend on… I'd almost forgotten what it felt like.

XXIX

Akira Komatsuzawa

The Newspaper Club is doing badly these days, and as it's president I have a duty to find out the flaw in our system and remove it. Luckily I know the flaw, but it is a tumor on this school that will be dangerous to remove.

The host club.

They manipulate the girls of the school and use their influence and wealth to assert their power over the other clubs, all while retaining an innocent appearance so that trying to announce their dastardly behavior results in being shunned by the whole school. Only I, Akira Komatsuzawa, president of the newspaper club, can see it clearly- and I must find a way to expose them. For a long time I feared it was impossible but not I have it: the perfect 'in', the perfect scoop. And it will all start with the girl, Ariel.

I heard her speaking to the twins and Haruhi, and then that occult-y 3rd year about how Kyoya Ootori had been looking into her past. Further investigation has proved this to be true, and I have noticed more: Ariel Amsel has a secret. Or many. Research into her past shows only that it is a mystery how her sister _truly_ died, and the true reason Ariel came to Japan is just as mysterious. But why she joined the host club is no mystery: she, like every other member, desired power over this school. And she may have it, but not for long.

Once I find the truth, the host club will fall.

XXIX

**A/N: Ominous, right? What do you think?**

**On another note, I just wanted to tell you that there will not be a love rivalry between Kyoya and Nekozawa. Sorry love triangle enthusiasts (I'm among you!), but Ariel and Nekozawa are never going to feel more than friendship for one another. However, that's not to say Kyoya will never wonder if their friendship is something more…**

**Fun Fact #6: Ariel's favorite movies right now are **_**Inception**_**, **_**Gravity**_**, and **_**Kingsman**_**. What can I say - she likes the action!**

**About the Author: My favorite movies right now are **_**Fight Club**_**, **_**Howl's Moving Castle**_**, and **_**Chicago**_**.**

**What are your favorite movies? I'm going reply to reviews, so definitely please please please review with your answer or your thoughts on the chapter or whatever. Also favorite and follow - every little response I get on this work warms my heart a little bit and inspires me to write more.**


	7. Rain

twentynine

Chapter 7

Rain

**A/N: Sorry for the wait! The lazy days of summer have caused me to forget about about all of my responsibilities, even the ones I actually like! Reviews are the only things that really prompt me to write more, **_**HINT**____**HINT**_**.**

**A few notes about the chapter:**

**You know how big amusement parks have places where you can stay overnight? The tickets Haruhi won are like that. They're not as common in waterparks, but I know the place near us called Schlitterbahn has like two little hotels. You don't have to have a season pass or anything, just buy rooms.**

**I know "-kun" is normally a suffix used for males, but it just fits, don't you think?**

**Disclaimer: I own neither **_**OHSHC**_** nor any of the other copyrighted things referenced in this chapter.**

XXIX

Kyoya

It's Thursday, September 25. The weather has been unseasonably hot of late. Ariel hasn't spoken to me in five days.

Not that the last fact is particularly notable. It's not as if we had been close friends prior to the argument, but her ignoring me is obviously intentional, at least judging by the way she always seems to look away just before our eyes meet and how she finds an excuse to duck out of the room whenever we would have been left alone together. It doesn't bother me much, neither does the heat.

But eventually the heat will become unbearable…

Gym class is particularly uncomfortable. Though Ouran's air conditioning system is state-of-the-art, outdoor classes have extended into the fall and the heat outside makes even the most proper girls sweat. The gym teacher this year has a sadistic Haruhi-like attitude of dislike toward the rich and privileged, and so makes us run laps during class as he sits under an umbrella fanning himself. Fortunately, my family's influence has prompted the school to lay off this particular teacher, but only once the school year is over.

I sigh and pull the sweat-stained gym shirt over my head, placing it in the laundry basket that a maid will later take to be laundered and returned to me. Unsatisfactory as this class may be, the facilities are still up to my standards. At the very least, each student has their own private changing area in a large dressing room, complete with mirror, bench, hooks, and the aforementioned laundry basket.

I take this rare opportunity of peace to examine myself in the mirror. Tall for my age, but still a bit shorter than Tamaki. Pale skin, unaffected by the harsh sun of the past summer. Lean, but with defined muscles that shine with sweat.

_No use in vanity. There's a reason it's a deadly sin._ I pull a clean towel out of a folded stack near the bench and dry my short hair, before taking a sip from my ice-cold water bottle and pulling on my regular school uniform. The last bell of the day sounded a few minutes ago, so hopefully the halls will be mostly clear of students by now. Tamaki won't mind if I'm a few minutes late to club, seeing as there is no theme today and so no cumbersome dressing up.

When I arrive, Ariel is already talking to some of her customers, dressed in the girls' uniform of a yellow dress that appears so strange next to her roguish hairstyle and many piercings. She has quite a few customers today. In the past few weeks, Ariel has gotten a few regulars, many shared with Haruhi. Also among them are several males that are quite transparently besotted with her. She seems to half accept, half ignore this, which furthers my belief that none of them are a threat. Not that any of them could ever hope to compete with an Ootori.

That is, if I desired to pursue Ariel. Which I firmly do not.

Once Ariel realizes that I've entered the room, she excuses herself from her customers and, for the first time in five days, approaches me.

"Can we talk?"

I push up my glasses. "If you keep your voice down."

She rolls her eyes but nods and leads me to a secluded changing area. "About the other day… I'm sorry for yelling at you."

Her sudden apology jars me. When she brought me in here, I expected her to continue arguing against me. I'd gotten the impression of her as prideful and stubborn, so it's odd to see her holding her arms and looking away. "Are you really?"

"Yes. I stand by what I said, I don't want to research me, but I was way too aggressive. I shouldn't have yelled at you and I shouldn't have threatened the Amsel family's support. I never realized how hard this must be for you to have a complete stranger living in your guest house and going to your school. I'm kind of… intruding on your life, and I understand why you wanted to get information on you. I just didn't want you to find things out from my past and threaten me like you did with Haruhi."

I cross my arms. "What made you change your opinion?"

"My friend Nekozawa told me to look at it from your point of view, and I guess I kind of get why you did what you did." _Nekozawa, that senior who's into the occult? How on earth did they become friends?_ "Anyway, I just want to apologize. I don't want you looking into my background, but I won't threaten your family. If we're living together, we may as well get along, right?"

She offers me a hand, and I take it with mixed feelings of confusion and disbelief. I can't tell if she's being sincere, but it seems legitimate. At least there's peace between us for now.

XXIX

Ariel

The limousine ride to the waterpark is just long enough for me to regret saying whatever it is I said that got us here. How was I supposed to know that these rich boys would be so intrigued by the notion of a going to a public waterpark? Better yet, how sheltered do you have to be to never even have been to one? I think back to the conversation that started it all…

XXIX

Yesterday

"_Damn, it's hot," I whined to nobody in particular as I fanned myself gently. Club activities had ended half an hour ago, but the members had to stay later than usual to clean up our stuff since it was Friday. Not being much of a cleaner myself, I lazed around as the boys (mostly Mori and Honey) helped the maids tidy up Music Room #3. "Can we go to the pool or something?"_

"_Ours is closed for cleaning," said Hikaru._

"_We swam all summer. It'll be boring to just go swimming," Kaoru chimed in._

"_I want to go to a waterpark. I haven't been in a year." I replied tersely._

_Haruhi (unlike me, actually participating in clean-up) reluctantly pulled two pieces of paper out of her bag. "I won two overnight passes to the resort at AquaVerse, if you want to go. I don't really go to things like water parks, so you can have both of them."_

"_Really? Are you serious?" She nodded. "Wow, thanks! But it wouldn't really be any fun without you. I don't really have any other female friends. You should come with me." She looked skeptical, so I pressed further. "C'mon, you'll have a good time! If you don't like water parks, you're doing it wrong. Plus, I need an interpreter."_

_She must have taken notice of my pleading and my best give-me-what-I-want pout, because she finally sighed and agreed. "Fine, but you're paying for food. And it's only if my dad says yes."_

"_No problem!" I squealed with excitement. This would be fun. A whole weekend with just us girls at AquaVerse, wherever that was-_

"_So its settled, we're all staying over at AquaVerse?" Tamaki interrupted with a grin._

"_Wait, what?"_

"We want to come too!_" said the twins in unison._

"_So do Mori and I!"_

"_Hn."_

_Kyoya sighed. "Then I suppose I'll go as well. You idiots are sure to get into trouble if you are left to your own devices for two days."_

"_No way!" I crossed my arms. "There are only two tickets. All of you can't come."_

"_We can just buy more tickets."_

"_If all of you go, even Kyoya's not going to be able to stop you all from messing it up somehow. It should just be Ariel and I." Haruhi didn't seem any more enthusiastic with all the boys planning to come._

"_That's not fair! I want to spend time with Haru-chan and Ari-kun!"_

"'_Ari-kun'? Is that my nickname now?"_

"_Yeah! We never get to do fun things outside school."_

Oh shit, they're giving me puppy dog looks._ It was like there were a group of actual dogs in front of me. The twins were identical corgis, Honey was a fluffy pomeranian, and Tamaki was his usual golden-retriever self. Mori and Kyoya weren't giving us puppy dog eyes, but if I had to pick a dog for Mori it would be a husky. Kyoya… Kyoya wasn't a dog. He's more like a wolf._

_Or a cat._

_I stifled a giggle at the absurdity of Kyoya as a cat. "Ahem. I guess you guys could come, if Haruhi's okay with it."_

_They turned their puppy-dog looks on her, and after a moment of valiant battle, she wilted. "If you guys want to go so bad, I guess I can't stop you."_

"YAYYY! Aquaverse!_" squealed the twins._

"_Haru-chan! Ari-kun!" Honey looked up at us with excitement in his eyes. "So what is Aquaverse again?"_

XXIX

I fight the urge to facepalm at the memory. After that wonderful outburst, the club members (minus Kyoya and Mori) each revealed that they didn't seem to know how public water parks worked. Haruhi had to explain the groundbreaking concept that regular people didn't have enough money to _purchase_ huge wave pools and waterslides, so instead they bought tickets to go to a larger, shared one. The twins seemed more than a bit disgusted at the idea of using a pool that hundreds of other people had been in, but they were too excited to spend a weekend together with the club to let such a thing as unsanitary conditions dull their interest.

While it took some convincing for Haruhi's father to allow her to go without supervision, Kyoya eventually intervened and assured him that she would be staying with another girl the whole time and that he personally would assure her safety. The fact that he had a large private police force at his beck and call certainly didn't hurt. The other boys had no trouble convincing their parents. I just shot my parents an email telling them where I was going, knowing that they were both busy with business and anyway, they can't really do much to stop me from halfway across the world.

It turned out fairly simply: Haruhi and I will share a room, while the boys paired off by grade level - the twins, Kyoya and Tamaki, and Honey and Mori. To Haruhi's own surprise, the tickets she won apparently got us a night in the park's coveted Presidential Suite, which, from the pictures on the hotel website, is incredibly luxurious for a water park hotel room. The boys purchased the nicest (and most expensive) rooms available, but ours is definitely the classiest.

Kyoya clears his throat gently from where he sits across me in the limo, and my eyes flit toward him before I can stop myself. He's dressed about as casual as I've ever seen him in a button-down with its sleeves pushed up almost to his elbows and trim gray shorts.

_Damn._

Have you ever noticed that a guy in a button-down with its sleeves pushed up is always ten times hotter than a guy in a short sleeved shirt?

_Stop staring. It's rude,_ I tell myself, but it doesn't seem like Kyoya's going to look up anytime soon. He's been tapping away on his laptop for the entire drive. Ignoring me?

Whatever. It's hot and I'm going to a water park. My random insecurities that come up whenever I'm around Kyoya are not going to ruin this for me. I will have fun, damn it!

XXIX

Well.

It isn't Kyoya that ruins the weekend.

It's the weather.

It rains.

_All._

_Damn._

_Weekend._

I swear it starts five minutes after we check into our rooms. A rumble of thunder growls across the sky as I'm changing into my swimsuit, and when Haruhi and I look out the huge windows, storm clouds have already gathered and streaks of lightning bear down on us.

"Are you kidding me? Are you fucking kidding me?" I swear under my breath. Haruhi just gulps in fear.

A knock on the door to the room announces the presence of the rest of the host club. They look as dismayed as I feel at the turn of events. Honey looks close to tears.

"It'll probably let up soon. There was no rain on the weather report," I say quickly in an attempt to console him and Haruhi, who looks to be afraid of thunder. "Unless… do you guys want to go home?"

"No." Kyoya pushes up his glasses. "The rain may stop at any point, and the drivers have already left. It would be best to wait." The others assent.

He eyes meet mine and I suddenly feel self-conscious about the fact that I'm wearing just a bikini top and shorts. The thunder caught us mid-change - Haruhi, Honey, and the twins are also in swimsuits - but I… I don't know why I care. I tear my eyes from his. "I think I'll go put some clothes on."

We end up watching a series of generic samurai movies with (oft-misspelled) English subtitles all day, the eight of us squished into the couches that are situated around the huge widescreen in the living room of the suite. I'm sandwiched between Honey and Haruhi, who looks appreciative of the fact that the curtains are closed and the movie drowns out the thunder outside. I feel slightly jealous of Kyoya, who looks cool as a cucumber in a single armchair.

I don't remember when I start to doze off, but I do remember my dream. Vividly.

I sit in a ratty old convertible. The peeling red paint is almost the same color as my waist-length copper locks, which now whip behind me in the summer breeze. Kyoya's driving, speeding, like he usually does.

I smile behind a pair of round 70's-style sunglasses. "Slow down, babe."

He smirks, and then brings the car to a complete stop on the side of the road. "Here good?"

"Sure." In the dream, I fish around in the glove compartment for the things we brought: a few cans of orange soda, a pack of Marlboros, and various boxes of candy. "Wow, you sure know what a girl wants."

"You know you love it, Fins." My mouth quirks into a frown at the annoying mermaid-inspired nickname, but I don't say anything. It's not worth the argument, one I know I won't win. Instead, I pass him a cigarette and a box of Skittles. "Gimme a light."

The silver lighter was a gift from him. Since I received it, I can't seem to get the taste of nicotine out of my mouth. My own cigarette is lit before I hand him the lighter.

We stay in the car for the next hour or so eating candy and prattling about the bands we like, the school we both hate, and the general shittiness of our lives, teenager crap. When the sun begins to set on the edge of the road, I shove the empty candy boxes and cans back into the glove compartment.

Instead of starting the car, Kyoya drops his cigarette onto the soil of the ground and then turns to me with a grin. "C'mere, Fins."

I know what's coming. My emotions hover somewhere between excitement and nervousness, but I move toward him, right to the edge of the dull brown bucket seat. We've kissed before, of course, but it feels harsher every time.

His hands tangle in my long hair and he pulls my face closer. Our lips meet, and then his are crushing mine. Open, full of heat, his arm gathers me nearer until my chest is pressed against his and I can only think of him. His lips are rough, chapped. His mouth tastes like bitter cigarettes and sweet orange soda, a taste that he carves into my memory with his touch.

I break away for a breath of air, but notice- there's something wrong.

His eyes are gray.

Not like the usual dark, almost-black gray, but pale grey. The color of storm clouds.

Revulsion rises in my throat. _It's wrong, it's all wrong, oh god-_

_-help-_

_what's wrong what's fucking wrong with me what's wrong-_

"Wake up Ariel! What's wrong?!"

I force my eye's open and it's him, the real Kyoya, his eyes the right color. I nearly sob with relief, though I don't know why. "Kyoya…"

"Ariel." He looks at me with an expression of something like worry. "Are you alright? You were having a nightmare, I believe."

I ignore him and stand up, each muscle rigid and tense. The dream was a memory from freshman year, a date with my first and only boyfriend, Luther, but for some reason Kyoya had taken Luther's place. Why? I hadn't thought about Luther in months, not since… Aurora. When your sister dies, it kind of takes your mind off your totally-wrong-for-you boyfriend. I hadn't considered him much more than feeling betrayed that he'd cheated on me.

Luther was the kind of guy that would give my father a heart attack if the two of them ever met. His parents were Swedish and well-off, at least enough so to afford his expensive clothes and the fancy liquor that he didn't have to be discreet about drinking. His Scandinavian heritage gave him the perfect features and ice-blond hair to make me fall - hard - before I knew what I was getting myself into. He got me smoking, drinking, even getting high a few times, until I discovered him on top of a gorgeous college freshman at a party, right after I'd made it clear to him that I wasn't interested in sex.

Despite his many faults, he did give me one good thing - he taught me the hard way that true love doesn't exist. There is no such thing as "the one". Love is just brief infatuation, followed by either a nasty breakup or a couple decades of matrimonial boredom and confinement. I won't get tricked into love again.

When I come to my senses, it's because of a loud clap of thunder. Through my soaking wet bangs, I stare around and realize that I must be outside. My clothes are soaked through; my arms are wrapped around my torso. My face is warm for some reason. Why? The rain is freezing.

I must be crying.

I loved Luther. Look how well that turned out.

Whatever I'm feeling for Kyoya, it's not the desire for a relationship. It's competitiveness, annoyance, nervousness, physical attraction, _something_ \- just not actual romantic feelings. The dream must have been a message to remind me to stay away from caring that much about anyone again.

"_Ariel!_"

My wet hair slaps my cheeks as I whip around to face Kyoya.

"Come inside! You're going to catch a cold out here."

He's as wet as I am, still just waiting for me to follow him.

And I do, I do, because even though I know what's best for myself, my better judgement has a way of crumbling when I look into those dark eyes.

XXIX

Kyoya

"_Ah-choo!_"

Though I can't exactly appreciate the irony at this point, it might be a little bit funny that even though I cautioned Ariel that the rain would give her a cold, it was I who caught one.

For some reason, I wake up on Monday morning in strange surroundings - specifically, the pale grey wallpaper of Ariel's guest house.

_It's silly to think of it as hers. It is still part of the Ootori estate._ This bedroom is a bit smaller than I'm used to, so I presume that she stays in the other bedroom, a rather large master bedroom. Last Sunday night we arrived back in town at an egregious time of night, and Ariel was asleep on the seats of the limousine. Given that we had become friends (perhaps?) over the weekend, I took the time to escort her (read: half drag, half carry her) onto her bed instead of waking her, only to immediately regret it when Devereaux drove off with my bag and the keys to the main house. It was just too late to wake any of the staff to let me in, so I decided to sleep in another room of the guest house.

It is _my _house in the first place, not hers.

A small laugh brings my attention to the door, where Ariel is poking her head in. "So Sleeping Beauty finally awakens."

I ignore the comment. "What time is it?" The light from the window indicates that it is later than the time that school starts, but Ariel is still here. I assumed she'd wake me when school started…?

"Like 11:30?"

I bolt up from under the bedsheets, noticing in the back of my mind how she averts her eyes at the sight of my bare chest. "It's Monday! School-"

"School will wait until you're not sick." Ariel nudges her way around the door into the room, holding a tray.

"I'm not-" This time it's my own sneeze that interrupts me. Annoyance rises in my chest as she smirks in triumph.

"You were coughing all last night. It kind of freaked me out until I saw it was just you. You can explain what you're doing in here later. For now, just eat this." She sets down the tray on the bedside table.

"I have to go to school." I try to move out of bed, but she puts a hand on my chest and pushes me back.

"You almost coughed up a lung last night. You can miss one day of school."

"But-"

"Do you have any tests today?"

"...No."

"Any big projects due?"

"No."

"Then you're golden. You always look tired at school, just eat this and get some rest. I can take care of you."

"You don't understand." I sit up and put on my glasses so that I can look her in the eye. "I have to keep up my grades. I can't miss any school and risk letting my class rank change."

She matches my glare with a stern look of her own. "One day is not going to hurt your GPA. And I doubt even your hard-ass dad would like for you to sacrifice your health. If he does, he's not much of a parent."

I plan to explain how I enjoy the challenge presented to me by my father's high expectations, but my throat is seized by a spasm of coughs, leaving it raw and dry, and I have to admit that she has a point.

"How did you convince the driver and the maids to leave us? They know what time we are supposed to go to Ouran."

"I just said you had a cold and I thought I was coming down with the same thing." She feigns a light, feminine cough. "You know, I have such a fragile constitution."

Despite the pain growing in my forehead, I have to smirk. Ariel is quite far from fragile.

"I also gave the maids the day off, which couldn't have hurt our case. Anyway, all this food is supposed to be good for colds, so I had the cook make it specially. Don't bother with any of that 'I don't eat breakfast' bullshit, because today you do."

On the tray is a variety of items. There is a bagel with cream cheese and lox along with a halved grapefruit, yogurt, tea, and a soup with an enticing aroma that I can't quite place. When I take a spoonful, I'm transported to Central America - the chicken, tomato, cilantro, and lime blending to form a distinct, flavorful portrait of Mexican food.

"You like?" she smiles. "It's a friend's recipe. It's a miracle for colds - clears the sinuses and all that."

How did she guess that I like spicy food? There's no reason for her to have known something so arbitrary about me. It must be just a coincidence. In any case, it's good enough that I take another few sips before asking her the question that's been bothering me. "Why are you taking care of me? I'm not your responsibility. It would be natural for one of the maids to do this instead."

She sighs. "I kind of do feel like you're my responsibility. It's my fault you're sick. You got caught out in the rain because I went out that night. Just let me do this, ok?"

I suppose it's the least she could do, given that it does seem to be her fault that I'm caught in this situation. My head is now aching, and I know I'll be going right to sleep after I finish the breakfast she made for me. "Do what you want, but could you at least leave me alone to eat? I am not exactly… decent." I gesture to my state of undress: the bare chest that she refuses to let her eyes dip below and the pajama bottoms that are still concealed by the blankets. "I would appreciate some privacy."

"Oh! Yeah, of course, sorry." Biting her lip, she stands up and leaves the room. "There's cold medicine and aspirin in the bathroom, and if you want me to go out and get anything, I'd be happy to."

As she leaves the room, I suddenly feel the desire to stop her, to make her sit down in the bed and talk to me, to make her wait by my side as I fall asleep, to keep her with me and stop her from leaving my side.

I was to one who asked her to leave. How odd.

XXIX

**A/N: What did you think? I'm a huge fan of all my readers, especially the ones who review, favorite, and follow. I swear, reviewing takes only a few minutes out of your day, but it makes me sooooooooo happy.**

**Fun fact #7: Ariel wears PJ shorts and a band T-shirt to bed, but some days (when she wants to feel extra-pretty) she wears a satin teddy that Fuyumi gave to her .**

**About the Author: I wear a pajama set to bed (tank and shorts in the summer, PJ pants and sweater in the winter).**

**What do you wear to bed? Leave me a review!**

**Until next time...**


	8. Newspaper Club

twentynine

Chapter 8

Newspaper Club

**A/N: Hiya folks! We've finally reached the climax of Season One of **_**twentynine**_** (I really hope that this excites you to some degree). There are going to be four "seasons" total, a fact which both terrifies and inspires me.**

**In related news, I'm working on **_**twentynine**_** for my Camp NaNoWriMo project. NaNo is National Novel Writing Month, an online community that lets writers challenge themselves to meet high word-count goals within the space of one month. I'm going to try to add 20,000 words to this story. That'll probably be a good 5 chapters! I won't post them all at once, though because I'll have to edit and revise after the month is over. However, I will probably be posting chapters more often, so you can look forward to that!**

**Disclaimer: I own neither **_**OHSHC**_** nor any of the other copyrighted things referenced in this chapter.**

XXIX

Kyoya

The atmosphere of the Host Club is alive with chatter. Tamaki entertains his guests with his usual fervor and over-the-top gusto, putting on the "perfect prince" show as impeccably as he always does. The ladies surrounding him hang onto his every word as if he really wears a crown.

I can never quite understand the appeal of Tamaki's "regal" appearance. The Tamaki I know is a lovestruck idiot, always abuzz with theories and plans that have fairly poor success rates. He is certainly not this untouchable, romantic figure that the girls imagine him to be - but I would take the Tamaki I know over a perfect one any day.

Haruhi, too, is far different from how her customers view her. A good part of it has to do with the fact that they all think that she is male (to be honest, I'm surprised that no one has figured it out yet. I knew as soon as I saw her), but there are also aspects of her personality that she never really seems to show off to the public. To her guests, she's the "natural type": flattering, kind, and easy to talk to. Around the host club, though, she shows her temper and her stubborn personality, even vulnerability on occasion.

Even I tend to hide my deepest feelings - not only around my guests, but to the world as a whole.

I chuckle to myself bitterly. A childhood of being taught to suppress any and all feelings of passion other than ambition has certainly twisted my mind.

Ariel… for some reason I can't read her as well as I can the others. At times it feels as if she's the most genuine one in the host club, but at the same time, there are sides to her that shock me whenever they show through her exterior mask of anger and toughness. For some reason, it irks that I don't understand every facet of her personality.

Mired in deep thought, I nearly jump out of my seat when the doors to the club burst open. Every head in the room turns toward the entryway, where three students in Ouran's uniform stand in triumphant poses. In the middle stands a vaguely familiar face, though I just can't seem to put my finger on it…

"[Host Club! It is I, Akira Komatsuzawa, president of the Newspaper Club!]"

_Ah._

I quickly get to my feet, anticipating a disturbance in the near future. "[Komatsuzawa-san. It's good to see you. Would you like to speak in private?]"

He ignores me. "[Where is Ariel Amsel? I have something to share with her.]"

My hackles are raised immediately. "[She's not here.]" _What does he want with Ariel? From his track record, nothing good._

"[She's meeting with our teacher,]" one of the twins chimes in.

"[Why do you want to talk to her?]" asks the other.

"[I have quite the juicy little article on Miss Amsel right here. She has somewhat of a colorful past, no?]" He holds up what looks like a newspaper article, keeping the contents facing his body. "[Wouldn't all of you like to see what secrets our little princess has been hiding?]"

"[What?]"

"[Ariel?]"

"[Why would she be keeping secrets?]"

"[I want to know!]"

"[So do I!]"

As the whispers run through the room, Tamaki's face hardens and he stands up. "[I'm sorry, princesses, but I'm going to have to ask you all to cut today's gathering of the host club short. If you could leave the room?]"

Sounds of disappointment come from every corner. "[But Tamaki, I want to know Ariel's secret!]" complains one of the girls.

He turns to her, all roses and smiles, and takes her hand. "[It pains me to see you go, princess. Every moment I'm am without you is a moment wasted. Still, I selfishly ask for this favor with my heart begging for your understanding. May you please grant my thoughtless request?]"

She blushes and the girl next to her looks close to fainting. "[Of course, Tamaki. We'll see you tomorrow!]" As the crowd of girls filters out through the double doors, I breathe a sigh of relief. At least whatever Komatsuzawa is about to tell us won't be spread throughout the whole school. The host club is a fairly tight-knit group, and I can't see any one of its members readily spilling Ariel's secret, whatever that may be. God knows she'd bring down hell's fury if she knew her secrets had been advertised publicly.

"[Akira! It's good to see you!]" Tamaki squeals, instantly transforming into his usual bumbling self. I'd almost forgotten that Tamaki never discovered the deception that the Newspaper Club had attempted during our last encounter, when they'd tried to bring down the host club.

"[Tamaki,]" I warned him. "[I don't think Akira is here for small talk.]"

"[Right as usual, Ootori,]" Komatsuzawa sneered, his lackeys behind him mirroring his expression. "[But I could say it's nice to see you. After all, I've been waiting a long time for this moment.]"

"[What moment?]" asks Honey. He looks about as on-edge as I feel.

"[The moment I take down the host club, of course!]"

Tamaki steps back in shock. The rest of us are less surprised - we all knew that Akira was a devious bastard from the last time he attempted to cross us.

"[And how do you plan to do that?]" one of the twins, Hikaru perhaps, shoots back.

"[With this.]" Akira holds up the newspaper.

The headline reads, in bold black lettering, '**ARIEL AMSEL KILLS SISTER IN COLD BLOOD**'.

This time everyone in the room is shocked silent. My mind can't seem to process the words in front of me. _Ariel… did what? She killed someone? Her own sister? That can't be right. Ariel's sister died of… well, how did she die? _After a moment of contemplation, I decide it doesn't matter. The thought that Ariel killed her sister is absolutely ludicrous, just like everything else this newspaper publishes. "[This will never pass for anything but your newspaper's usual gossip. You have no proof.]"

"[On the contrary, Ootori.]" Komatsuzawa's sneer grows. "[I've done my research this time. I've spoken over the phone to family members, neighbors, witnesses, even the police. It's funny how many doors open for you once you say you're a friend of Ariel Amsel's. I suppose that's why the story never came out in the first place.]"

_It can't be._ No longer concerned with appearances, I snatch the article out of Komatsuzawa's hands and skim it over. A few phrases jump out at me: "**...famous actress, model, and heir to the Amsel family, Aurora Amsel, was killed due to blunt-force trauma to the head…**" "**...body found at Ariel Amsel's place of work, the Springtime Diner…**" "**...Ariel was discovered in the kitchen in a state of shock…**" "**...apparent amnesia…**".

My breath is coming out less steady than I would like. It would not do to let this little cockroach know that I am feeling… whatever I'm feeling. I can't decide if I'm surprised, angry, or disgusted. Strangely enough, however, none of the negative feelings are directed toward Ariel .I just don't believe that she could be involved in Aurora's death. The girl who sang "Moon River" to me as we danced on the balcony, the girl who cried in the rain over a nightmare, the girl with such peculiar blue eyes - that girl could never hurt someone she loved, much less kill them and lie about it. No, my passion is aimed at Komatsuzawa, who somehow has fabricated this whole thing.

The twins come up behind me and look over my shoulder at the article. "[There's no real evidence here that Ariel is the killer,]" says the one I presume is Hikaru, due to the way his hair is parted.

"[It says that she's a suspect, but it's more likely that it was the Amsels' business rival, CanteCo,]" says Kaoru.

Honey turns toward Komatsuzawa with a scowl on his childish face. "[CanteCo uses dirty tactics. They kidnap CEOs and hire assassins, but they're so powerful that they can get away with it.]"

"[Hn.]"

"[I've heard of CanteCo too,]" Tamaki speaks up. "[My father refuses to work with them because he knows that they cut corners in development to save money, and it has cost lives. If all this is true,]" he motions to the article, "[then it's much more likely that members of CanteCo arranged a hit on Ariel's sister.]"

"[Maybe you're right.]" Komatsuzawa adjusts his glasses. "[But it's also true that I spent a lot of time and effort on this article. The bare facts are as accurate as anything, and Ariel is no doubt a suspect. That alone is enough to ruin her reputation, both at school and later in her professional life. And it's more than enough to take down the host club once and for all.]"

By now, I can recognize the anger brimming up in my throat. The world around me becomes hazy. _Who does this vermin think he is? To destroy someone's reputation based on a few over-the-phone interviews and unfounded, conjectural evidence. And he's not doing this to just _someone_, he's doing it to _Ariel_. She'll be ruined if this gets out._

_I can't let Komatsuzawa publish this article._

With this single thought running through my brain, I stride over to where he's standing and slam him up against the wall. My hands move before I can think, one pinning his arm to the wall and the other clenched into a fist at my side.

"[Kyoya!]" I hear Tamaki exclaim, but I'm deaf to his protests.

"[You're not going to publish this article,]" I growl. "[You're going to leave this newspaper here, and then you're going to march right back to your club room and burn every other copy you have. Do you understand?]"

"[O-or what?]" Komatsuzawa tries to retain his strength, but I can feel him shaking.

"[Or I'll ruin you.]"

He attempts a scoff. "[H-how typical of the host club, using their families to control others!]"

I move closer to him, putting my mouth near enough to his face to whisper in his ear. "[_This has nothing to do with my family. I promise that if you publish this article, I will destroy you. And I'll do it myself. In person._]"

I hear the coward gulp and I pull away smirking. "[Fine.]"

I don't look behind me, preferring not to see the shocked faces of my friends. I'm well aware that it's out of character for me to show such amounts of anger. Only Tamaki has ever been able to elicit such passion from me. Part of me regrets what I've just done - to show such emotion in front of both my friends and my enemies, and to threaten a vindictive little bastard who already has a grudge against the host club? - but the larger part of me is relieved that I was able to protect Ariel. I'm not sure how or when it became a priority to me, but the truth is that it has, and there just isn't much I can do about it. It is no doubt a result of wanting to keep the host club together.

Right?

Instead of facing the questions that will undoubtedly come from my fellow host club members, I grab my bag in one hand and Komatsuzawa's arm in the other and exit the room. I must make sure he destroys every single copy of the newspaper except the one he left in the room, and I won't believe it unless I see it with my own eyes.

XXIX

Ariel

"Thank you, ma'am!" I wave to my teacher, and she waves back with a benevolent smile on her face. She just spent the better part of an hour helping me wade through a positively crazy amount of Japanese homework, which would definitely never have been completed without her help. This school may be a little snobby for my tastes, but the teachers are all really involved with their students and they obviously love their (no doubt well-paid) jobs.

Well, I may have finished my homework, but I'm crazy late to host club. As I jog to Music Room #3, I can sorta sense that something's wrong. The usual lazy buzz of talking has been replaced with tense whispers. When I open the doors, I'm surprised to see that none of the guests are here, just the club members. Weren't there club activities today?

"Hey guys, what's up? Where is everyone?"

Everyone in the club turns to me, each with the same expression of shock. Even Mori looks vaguely surprised (let's face it, the guy doesn't have the widest range of emotion). "A-Ariel!" Tamaki says, hiding something behind his back. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here for club, duh. Sorry I'm late by the way, I needed some help with Japanese homework. What's that behind your back?"

"You know, if you ever need help, Hikaru and I can help you," says Kaoru quickly.

"Why don't we work on homework together right now? Let's go to the library." Hikaru takes my arm and tries to lead me out of the room, but I stop him.

"What's going on with all of you? Let me see what's behind your back!" I pull the thing away from Tamaki despite his protests. "A newspaper? What-"

The headline.

**ARIEL AMSEL KILLS SISTER IN COLD BLOOD**

_?_

_I didn't-_

_How did they-?_

_I would never hurt her-_

My eyes scan the article.

_How did they find out how Aurora died?_

_Why do they think I did it?_

_WHO DID THIS?_

The last thought almost comes out of my mouth, but I know the answer before I speak the question.

Kyoya.

That fucking dirtbag.

I told him not to look into my past, but he did. And now he's trying to say _I_ did it. My own sister. All this time getting close to me, pretending to be my friend - it was all so that he could find my weak spot. My Achilles heel.

Well, he found it all right. And he just fucking gutted me.

Slowly, ever so slowly, I lift my eyes to the other club members. Their tense faces all stare back at me with anxiety as to my reaction. _They all saw this they think you killed Aurora they hate you now_

"Where is Kyoya?" I whisper.

"A-At the newspaper club." Tamaki responds.

He must have collaborated with the writer of this article, this Akira Komatsuzawa. I can see it now - Kyoya using his power and influence to break past the barriers that my family created to protect me, researching and giving this Akira jackass all the information he needed to write the article.

It doesn't matter. I'm leaving. I can't be around people who think I'm a killer. I drop the newspaper on the ground and make sure to step on it on my way out.

"Wait, Ariel!" Haruhi runs after me. "We can explain!"

Funny, isn't that my line? I feel her soft brown eyes tug at my heart and I want to tell her everything - that the article is a lie, that I loved my sister and I didn't kill her, that I want to keep Haruhi's friendship - but I don't. She wouldn't believe me. No one ever believes me. "Leave me alone!" I yell instead, and run out of the building as fast as I can so she can't catch up.

I keep running, all the while wearing that ridiculous yellow dress, until I reach a large patch of lawn and I'm sure I've lost her. I'm sure she's not even looking for me anyway. Why would she? She thinks I'm a killer.

I pull out my phone and dial one of the few numbers I've memorized in my lifetime. "Hey, dad?"

"_Ariel?_"

"Yeah, it's me." Before I can stop myself, a sob escapes from my mouth and tears start to flow from my eyes.

"_Are you alright?_"

I sniff. "Yeah I'm fine. I just wanted to let you know… I'm coming home."

XXIX

**A/N: Review with your thoughts, compliments, and constructive criticisms, please! I'd also appreciate a favorite and/or a follow.**

**Fun Fact #8: Ariel's favorite junk food is Takis (spicy rolled corn tortilla chips).**

**About the Author: My favorite junk food is Sour Patch Kids.**

**What's your favorite junk food? Leave me a review!**

**Until next time…**


	9. Los Angeles

twentynine

Chapter Nine

Los Angeles

**A/N: Hey ladies, gentlemen, and others! You excited for the next chapter?**

**Unfortunately this one won't be super full of action, but it's definitely necessary to the story as a whole. I know you haven't gotten any cute Kyoya X Ariel action in a while, so bear with me because it's coming soon.**

**Note: "Opa" and "Oma" mean "Grandpa" and "Grandma" in German.**

**Disclaimer: I own neither **_**OHSHC**_** nor any of the other copyrighted things referenced in this chapter.**

XXIX

The flight to Los Angeles is long and unsteady. I do my best to try and sleep through the better part of it, but for some reason I just find myself lying awake in bed, imagining the look on Haruhi's face when I told her to leave me alone and the nervousness on the other hosts' faces at having read the article about me. Did they believe what was written about me?

I turn over in my bed, facing away from the little window. Of course they did. Even if I'd tried to explain it to them, they'd just think I was lying. No one has ever believed in me, not completely. They've always blamed me, at least a little bit.

The worst is thinking about Kyoya. I didn't see him that day, so I don't know what kind of expression he wore when he found out how Aurora died. Would it be surprise? Anger? Or would he just feel victorious that he finally got one over on me, found out my big secret? Picturing his face keeps me awake through the heavy hours, which is strange because I can usually force myself to go to sleep whenever I want to.

My father and mother meet me in Los Angeles almost as soon as the plane touches down. Customs and airport security tend to be a breeze when your family is filthy rich. It feels good to see mom and dad again. My dad gives me a huge hug as soon as he sees me, wrapping his huge arms around me and squeezing 'till I can barely breathe. My mother kisses my cheek and pulls me close into her fancy designer jacket that dad probably bought for her given that despite having married into the Amsels and being the CEO of her own company, she never spends more than $200 on a single garment.

"We missed you," my dad says gruffly through his well-trimmed salt-and-pepper beard, as my mom wipes a tear from her eye.

"Me too," I whisper, and I come closer to my mom so she can hold my hand as we walk back to the car.

XXIX

"Do you mind that we invited some people over for dinner tonight?"

I look up at my mother from where I was sitting at my desk, surfing the internet. "That's fine, I guess. Who did you invite?"

"Just Opa and Oma. Your dad's parents were in town, and we thought they'd want to see you."

"...Oh." Opa and Oma haven't exactly been the doting grandparents that they once were since Aurora's death. My inability to remember what happened has always bothered them to some degree, and they can never let it go. Family dinners with the two wealthy Germans tend to end with them grilling me about the accident and me getting pissed and leaving. I'm not saying they don't love me, I'm just saying that they show their love in interesting ways.

"C'mon, Ariel, it'll be fine. I'm sure they won't bring up… Aurora." Like me, my mom has trouble saying her name or thinking about her death. We both just never accepted it. I can't blame her. Aurora was the perfect child.

"Fine. I guess it'll be okay."

XXIX

Well, it's okay.

For about five minutes.

Because about five minutes into the dinner conversation, Opa has to bring up Ariel's death as if it was just small talk.

"So Therese, have you remembered anything about your sister yet?"

My grandparents never liked the fact that my sister and I were named after disney princesses. It's not an accident that we're named after Sleeping Beauty and The Little Mermaid. My dad lost a drunken bet, and my mom just happened to like the names. However, my grandparents didn't, so they always call me Therese, my middle name. It _is_ a family name, after all. I think Oma's mother was named Therese or something.

"No, Opa. If I had, I would have gone to the police."

"So may I just ask, dear," Oma replies, "What exactly do you remember about your sister's murder?" Her tone is sweet, but her words are brutal. How can she talk about this? We're having dinner. I'm trying to keep it together. This isn't helping.

"Mother, that's enough," my dad tries to cut in, but Opa stops him.

"Let your mother speak, Friedrich."

"So, dear? What do you remember?"

I swallow. I guess there's no stopping them. Why do they always have to bring this up? The answer is the same every time. "The last thing I remember is closing up the diner. Then I was on the floor in the kitchen, and Aurora… Aurora was hurt. I called 911 as fast as I could, but it was t-too late."

"But honey, answer me this. How on earth could you forget something so important as your sister's killer?" Opa asked in a voice as cold and hard as steel.

"I- I don't know."

"I just don't understand this. Unless, of course, you're covering up for someone."

"Father!" My dad yells, but I've already gone off the edge.

"I'm not covering for anyone!" I yell. "I just can't remember! Believe me, I would give anything to be able to remember, but I just can't! I love Aurora more than anything, so don't you dare accuse me of withholding information ever again!" I slam my silverware down and stomp out of the room, ignoring the my family's protest. Just one day back and I'm already being talked to as if I killed her myself. Funny, this is what I thought I'd escaped from.

As I wander through the halls, I get the odd sensation that everything looks the same. I don't know where I am or where I'm going - the halls are too wide and this house is too big. I used to get lost in here playing hide-and-seek as a kid.

I haven't lived in this house in years, not fully. When I was just a fifth grade brat, I went to the finest private school money could buy, until my sister and I were kidnapped by a rival company. I don't remember it much, just darkness and cold and my 17-year-old sister trying to reassure me, telling me it was going to be all right. I guess I have a tendency to block out traumatic incidents. Still, I'm not sure I'd even call it a trauma - I idolized my sister, and anything that came out of her mouth was the gospel truth. I should have doubted my safety at that time, but I never did.

After that incident, my parents lost faith in private schooling. When my sister graduated from high school, they put me in a public middle school in downtown LA. I ended up living in a hotel suite with Aurora so I could be closer to my school. She moved out when she met Akito, and I'd lived on my own for a while before…

At this moment, something stops my walking. My feet halt, then slowly turn to the right.

It's just a closed door, the same as all the others, but I can feel in my bones that it's Aurora's.

I know her room from the inside out. The walls are painted mint green, her favorite color. The closet and dresser are bursting full of clothes, from cheap thrift-shop finds to expensive designer labels. The bedspread is deep green with a geometric pattern of white diamonds. There are stuffed animals on the wall next to the window. Rabbits mostly.

I want to see it again.

I want to see her again.

I want her to be alive.

I can't bring her back. Not from the dead.

And I can't remember who killed her.

What kind of sister am I?

I let her die, and now I don't even know who killed her?

I sink to the floor. I can't even cry. I won't let myself. I won't cry about this when I can't even remember.

I shouldn't have come home.

XXIX

Kyoya

"[What do you mean, she's gone?!]"

"[Calm down.]" Tamaki places a hand on my shoulder, but I'm not angry. This time I'm just worried. _Where did she go? Why did she leave? Was it because of that newspaper article? _

She's been missing, both from school and from the guest house, for almost a week. To say I am troubled would be an understatement. Akito himself is tearing his hair out with anxiety, and secretly I feel the same way. _Did something happen? Is she alright?_ I find myself asking myself such questions at the most inopportune times, such as when I should be paying attention in class or when I'm lying awake in bed.

"[She went back to America,]" says Hikaru.

"[We talked to the teacher. She said Ariel sent her an email that said she went back to her home in Los Angeles for an indeterminate amount of time.]"

"[Stupid Ari-kun!]" Honey pouts. "[We were worried about her, and she left without telling us.]"

"[She was upset, Mitsukuni. She did not mean any harm.]"

I try to assemble my thoughts. "[Why did she leave? Was it the article?]"

"[I think so,]" says Haruhi. "[When she saw it, she looked terrified. She ran out of here and yelled at me when I tried to go after her.]" She pauses gingerly. "[I think she may have thought that… you were behind it.]"

It seemed logical. I had been looking into her past before, and she warned me against it. Still... how could she think that I-? I thought we had grown closer over the last few weeks, to the point of being friends. And to leave without telling any of the hosts or even Akito, where she'd gone was unlike her. She must have been angry.

Angry at me.

Something inside me protests. I don't want her to be angry at me. Just another one of my many inexplicable, uncontrollable reactions when it comes to Ariel.

It doesn't matter why I care about how she thinks of me. That mystery can be solved at any time. It just matters that I have to set the record straight, in person.

Which means, evidently, that I must travel to America.

She has to know the truth. And I want to see her face. I want her to know that we are truly friends, that neither I nor any of the host club believe the lies that Komatsuzawa wrote about her. That I have stopped investigating her past. That she is a Host, and so we will protect her.

I want her to come back to Japan.

"[Tamaki. I am going to America to retrieve Ariel. Will you come with me?]"

He looks surprised (yet again), but nods. "[Of course. Ariel is important to the host club. And you know me, I can't leave a woman in distress!]"

I roll my eyes, but I appreciate his taking to time to come with me on the long flight.

"[Anyone else?]"

"[I'll come! I wanna help get Ari-kun back!]"

"[Hn.]"

"[Kaoru and I will come too!]"

Everyone turns to Haruhi, the last club member. "[Hey, I would go, but I don't have a passport.]"

"[That's okay! Kyoya will help you get one!]" Tamaki claps a hand across my back.

I turn back to him and practice my nastiest Shadow King glare. There is no way he's making me go through all that paperwork. "[You can help her, you idiot.]"

"[O-okay!]" he replies, trying to ignore my glare. "[So then it's settled - we're all going to America?]"

XXIX

**A/N: I get the feeling people with as much power and influence as the hosts would have no trouble getting Haruhi a passport. They've mentioned that she can't leave the country because she doesn't have one in canon before, but I figure that's more due to the inconvenience of getting her a passport than anything else.**

**How did you like it? Next chapter is the big reunion. The pain of keeping these two dorks apart is getting too much for either of them (or me) to bear. Sorry if it seemed kind of sappy, but have you ever noticed that a crush gets stronger if you don't see them for a few days? Neither of them have a fully-blown crush yet (that they know of), but it's a similar thing. After all, absence make the heart grow fonder, does it not?**

**Please review, favorite, and follow. Looking at fics with similar word counts/ subjects/ genres, I seem to have fewer reviews, favorites, and follows than others. If there's anything, and I mean **_**anything**_** I can do to improve my writing and make this more fun and enjoyable for you to read, I'd love to hear it. You won't be hurting my feelings or anything - all honest feedback is appreciated.**

**Fun Fact #9: Ariel impulse-buys clothes. A lot. If she sees a top she likes in a store while she's walking down the street or something, she'll go in and buy it - and then spend a good hour or so doing some more shopping. However, she regularly donates her clothes, so she doesn't have as huge a wardrobe as one might think.**

**About the Author: I impulse-buy a lot of things, but mostly office supplies. I have way too many empty notebooks, and the phrase "expanding file folder" hits me like crack.**

**What do you buy on impulse? Leave me a review!**

**Until next time…**


	10. Deaf Heaven

twentynine

Chapter Ten

Deaf Heaven

**A/N: The title of this chapter is from one of Shakespeare's sonnets. It describes how heaven seems to be deaf to the prayers of mortal men. I thought it was appropriate for the last chapter of Season One.**

**Side note: it looks like I made a mistake on one of the fun facts from a previous chapter. Ariel's birthday is not September 21, it's October 5, which is today in the story! Hooray (too bad no one knows)! She's a Libra, not a Virgo.**

**Another important note: I have been made aware that I write Ouran more like an American high school than a Japanese one. I can't go back and fix every error I've made without significantly altering the course of the story, so instead I'll just apply my creative license and say that maybe Ouran Academy has a westernized approach than normal Japanese schools. Sorry about that! **

**Disclaimer: I own neither **_**OHSHC**_** nor any of the other copyrighted things referenced in this chapter.**

XXIX

Kyoya

We arrive at Ariel's house on Sunday, October fifth. It was not difficult to obtain the location of her parent's estate in America. Once I informed my brother Akito that we meant no harm to Ariel, and that we were only trying to help her, he grudgingly gave up her address. Though it was his understanding that Ariel had not lived in her parent's house for a few years, he assumed that she'd go there once touching down in Los Angeles to be with her family. It seemed logical. When fleeing from us, who better to receive her than her own parents, who hadn't seen her in months?

The seven of us all spread out on the porch of the main building. Even I have to admit, the Amsels' American estate is impressive. It is more modern than I would have expected from an ancient line like the Amsels, but it fits the landscape expertly. The buildings are designed in shades of white and deep russet, with steeply sloping roofs, a nod to the family's German roots. A wall of floor-length windows faces the now-setting sun, which is reflected in an enormous pond to the right of the entryway. The overall effect was of a place of calm and rest, a true home, even despite the modernity and multitude of buildings.

"Are you going to ring the doorbell?" Tamaki asks me. Since coming to the US, he has switched over into English completely, even when there are no English speakers around. I get the impression that he is attempting to show off his impeccable accent.

No matter. I've been told many times that my English is perfect as well. Even if I have an accent, my grammar, spelling, and understanding of American culture is probably better than Tamaki's.

I reach out and press the little button, letting a chime ring out through the house. In what seems like an instant, a butler comes to the door and bows. I wonder what is going through his head - it must be strange to see a group of six handsome young men and one girl (to my fellow hosts' delight, it appears as if Haruhi's father has repacked her suitcases with only women's clothes), show up without warning on your doorstep. Still, his expression betrays absolutely no surprise, only quiet civility. "Gentlemen, lady. What may be your business here today at the Amsel manor?"

"We need to speak with Ariel Amsel." I reply. Despite Tamaki's position as the host club's "King", I have become the unspoken leader on this journey. Perhaps because it is my false betrayal that led Ariel to leave in the first place, perhaps because it is the Ootori's estate that she left, perhaps because somehow, I have come to consider Ariel Amsel to be a friend - it doesn't matter why. Though I appreciate the support of the other hosts, this is my mess to set straight, and set it straight I will.

"Unfortunately, Miss Ariel is not feeling well at the moment. You will have to come back later." He attempts to close the door on us, but I quickly grab it and pull it back open.

"Sir, I wouldn't want to disturb Ariel, but I'm afraid this is urgent." I give the butler an evil smile that would curl the devil's horns, and the butler gives a quick shudder.

"I… suppose that would be alright. Let me escort you to her room."

Having regained his cool exterior, he lets us in and leads the way up an elegant flight of stairs to a doorway. Outside Ariel's room is a sitting room, furnished with high-quality chairs and divans in simplistic, ultra-modern style that doesn't fit the rest of the house. Judging by Ariel's preferred style, I can only assume that she outfitted this sitting room herself. The seven of us settle down on the various chairs as the butler suggests.

"Wait here, please," he asks before he knocks on the door to Ariel's room. For a moment, nothing happens, and I wonder if she's even here. Then the door cracks open a little bit, and I see a tuft of red hair over the butler's bald scalp.

"Arthur? What's up?"

"Miss Ariel, a group of young men and a young lady are here to see you. They insisted that it was urgent."

"What? Really?" I guess she can't see us through the crack in the door.

"Yes, Miss Ariel."

"Are they all really hot?"

"...Yes, Miss Ariel."

"Fuck, it's the host club!" The corner of my mouth turns up at her swearing. Somehow, I've missed it.

The butler just sighs. "Will you see them or not, Miss Ariel?"

"...Fine. I'll see them."

The door slowly opens wider, and I'm on my feet before I know it.

She's there.

All that red-haired, olive-skinned glory.

Her eyes are smudged with sleep deprivation, but they're that same cloud-like blue that has been haunting me for the past week - no, make that the past month, ever since we danced on the balcony together.

It's… good, great, wonderful, to see her, and I try not to smile.

But I do.

XXIX

Ariel

I'm sulking. It's my go-to habit when I feel like the world has betrayed me. I do realize that I'm being melodramatic, but still! Did Kyoya have to snoop on my past? No. Did he have to write a bullshit article that says I'm a killer? No. Did Opa have to accuse me of withholding inforformation about my memory of Aurora's death? No.

Kyoya's betrayal in particular stings. I want to cry about it, but I've already wasted enough tears on the jerk. Instead I hug the giant stuffed owl that's been sitting on my bed for the past 8 or so years and snuggle into the comforter. It feels good, like being a turtle, able to retreat into my shell when the world isn't being nice to me.

Unfortunately, the high thread-count and Egyptian cotton don't keep out the bad thoughts. Why would Kyoya do this to me? I thought we had a good thing going - a friendship, or at least the fact that we are - no, we _were_ \- in the same club, and I lived on his house. I even took care of him when he was sick, all out of the goodness of my heart! I suddenly sit up among the blankets, the feeling of anger burning away my sadness. What did I ever do to him, aside from threatening him that one time? I wasn't going to go through with it! Besides, I thought we'd moved past that. What good reason could Kyoya have to want to reveal my past? It would only worsen relations between our two families, which wouldn't be beneficial to him in any way. The only reason I can think of is for the sake of being a dick, aka no good reason.

What an asshole.

A knock sounds at my door and I frown. I asked the staff not to disturb me today. I want to be left to my sulking. I consider not answering the door, but that would be kind of rude. Plus, whoever it is might come in anyway even if I don't answer, which would suck. I hate having people in my room - that's the whole reason I converted the sitting room outside in the first place - to have a place to talk to people that wasn't in my private bedroom. Even as a fifth grader, I'd valued my alone time highly.

I get up and open the door a tiny bit, just enough to see the shiny bald head of a butler. I think his name is Arthur? "Arthur? What's up?"

"Miss Ariel, a group of young men and a young lady are here to see you. They insisted that it was urgent." A group of young men and a young lady? That sounds like… no, it couldn't be.

"What? Really?"

"Yes, Miss Ariel."

One way to know for sure. "Are they all really hot?"

Arthur looks like he wants to roll his eyes, but he resists the urge. "...Yes, Miss Ariel."

"Fuck, it's the host club!" I think, and then cover my mouth and give the exasperated butler a sheepish grin as I realized I said that out loud.

He sighs. "Will you see them or not, Miss Ariel?"

"...Fine. I'll see them."

I open the door ever-so-slowly, letting Arthur move out of the way before stepping out of the room. Outside is the host club, all seven of them plus me. Kyoya's the only one standing up, and he looks into my eyes with such intensity that for a second my knees go weak.

Seeing him again feels like a sigh of relief, which is ridiculous because, as we've just established, I hate the guy. I brush off the feeling just in time to see a smile growing on his face.

Usually Kyoya's smiles come in two varieties: sweet-but-fake ones that are designed to woo people into doing his will, and smirks that come from him getting his way at someone else's expense. This one is neither. He looks happy.

That's… kind of a first, I guess.

I hate his stupid face.

I cross my arms and try (and fail) to look anywhere but at Kyoya. "What are you all doing here?"

He quells his smile and adjusts the position of his glasses. Not that I'm looking. "We are here to bring you back to Japan."

"What? Are you serious? After what you did?"

He pauses for a moment, and for a second I swear he looks troubled. Ha, ha. Kyoya Ootori is never troubled. That jerk is always in control. "You bring in valuable customers. If we were to lose you , our credibility would deteriorate."

I huff. Is that all he cares about? The host club's credibility? "You're joking, right?"

Haruhi stands up. "Kyoya didn't write that article, Ariel."

What?

Really?

She continues. "It was written by Akira Komatsuzawa. He's wanted to take down the host club for a while, and I guess he thought that getting to you would be the best way to do it."

It wasn't Kyoya.

_It wasn't Kyoya._

While my mind keep repeating '_it wasn't Kyoya_,' my mouth keeps on speaking. "So why did he want to take down the host club? That doesn't make sense." Haruhi answers, but I'm so irrationally happy that it wasn't Kyoya who spilled my secret that I don't hear her.

I turn to Kyoya. "So… you weren't looking into my past."

He nods. "Not since you asked me forcefully to stop."

I sort of laugh at the memory, but I'm so stricken by the realization that it comes out as a weird bark.

"Ari-kun!" I feel someone tugging on my shirt, and turn around to see Honey's adorable face. "Are you going to come back to the host club?"

I consider for a moment, then nod. If there's anything I've learned in the past week, it's that even at home, there are going to be people that try to hurt me with Aurora's death.

"I'm sorry," I say to Kyoya. "I should have waited. I should have asked you what happened instead of making assumptions."

"Yes, you should have." Kyoya assents. I feel a trace of annoyance, but I've gotten used enough to his brusque manner that it doesn't bother me too much. Besides, he's right. Seeing that article spooked me enough to run away to another hemisphere without asking questions.

"Kyoya actually threatened the guy who did write the article," Tamki adds. "He was trying to protect-"

Before he can finish his sentence, Kyoya turns around and hits him gently on the side of the head. "Let's not talk about that, shall we?" he smiles, one eyebrow twitching in annoyance.

_Kyoya tried to protect me? No, I must have heard that wrong. There's no way._

I come closer to Kyoya. "Thanks. But that article… you must have been wondering if any of it was true, right? All of you. That was why I left. Whenever I tell people the truth about what happened to my sister, they never believe it. I just couldn't let that happen with you guys."

"We would have believed you if you'd explained," says Hikaru.

"That's what it means to be a host. We trust each other," Kaoru adds.

Tamaki smiles at the two of them. "We're a family. If you tell us the truth, we'll believe you."

It's cheesy, lame, all of that, but I like it. It's not like I don't have my own family, but right now my mother and father are the only ones around that believe what I say about Aurora's death, and I know that on some deep level they must blame me at least a tiny bit. Hell, I blame myself. If I could just remember what happened… but I can't, and for now there's no way to force the memory. I just need people I can trust.

A heavy sigh bubbles out of my chest and I have to sit down with the force of it.

"Let me explain."

I nod to the stone-faced butler and he bows, then leaves the room silently. The hosts settle back into the chairs around me and give me their rapt attention. It bothers me a little to have so many eyes on me, so many people waiting for my story, but I know I have to tell it if I want to get close to these people. Right now I like them, but if I want to truly have meaningful friendships with them, this secret is going to come out sooner or later. I may as well tell them on my own terms.

"It happened in my first year of high school, January of this year. Our school year starts in the fall and there's four years of high school, starting with ninth grade. I was a lot different then. I hung out with people who weren't exactly good for me, and I had a boyfriend who was 4 years older."

Tamaki, the twins, Honey, and Haruhi all looked shocked out of their skulls. I kind of huff. Is it really so surprising that I could have a boyfriend? I thought I projected a "bad girl" image to them! After all, I am the "fiery" type. "Anyway, I was working at this little place called the Springtime Diner at the time. I was a waitress. I know I don't really have to work, but my mom really wanted me to because she was the 'raise yourself up by the bootstraps' type and she didn't want me to grow up lazy. Since my goal back then was to get a job at her company, I went along with it. It wasn't too hard - the manager was my friend's mother and she let me get away with a lot of crap."

I notice I'm veering away from the point of a story, so I circle back around. "Anyway, in January, I was working at the Springtime Diner. It was a Friday, January 17th. The manager left me to close up shop. It was late, and I was pretty broken up at the time because I'd just caught my boyfriend cheating on me, so I don't recall if I'd locked the front doors. After that, I don't remember anything."

I wait for one of them to say something, to accuse me of making it up, but the room is as silent as a grave.

"The next thing I remember is seeing Aurora…" I swallow, because the words don't feel right in my throat. They're not fair. "Aurora was dead on the floor. I called the police and just sat there, waiting. They told us later that from examining the wound, it was clear that someone had… s-slammed her head against a table. I just don't know who."

Haruhi scoots closer to me and puts an arm around my shoulder. "That's horrible. I'm so sorry."

"You… you believe me?"

"Of course." The rest of the hosts nod as well.

"You don't think I'm holding back information or anything?"

"No," Kyoya replies, adjusting his glasses. "Why would you lie? You loved your sister, didn't you? I'm sure you would do anything you could to see your sister's killer apprehended."

If I wasn't so sobered from having just told my story, I would have laughed with happiness. He'd just summarized everything I'd ever tried to tell my old friends, my grandparents, and even myself when I tried to explain why I couldn't remember.

"Yeah. You're right."

"See, Ari-kun? We believe you!" Honey exclaimed. "It must have been hard for you. I can't imagine."

"Thanks, guys." I sigh again but this time it end with a smile. Standing up, I straighten out my arms and stretch toward the ceiling, feeling the weight of my secret lifting off my shoulders. "I guess it's time to go back to Japan."

XXIX

**A/N: Sorry if that ending felt a little sudden. As I've said before, I'm not good at endings. **

**Well, there you have it! End of Season One! How did you like it? I'm hoping for some more faves and follow, not to mention reviews, so please do any/all of those things and I'll be a happy duckling!**

**Next chapter will be a quick Omake about Aurora and Akito's story before she died. Hope you're looking forward to it!**

**Fun Fact #10: Ariel's favorite book genre is horror.**

**About the Author: My favorite book genre is fantasy.**

**What's your favorite book genre? Leave me a review!**

**Until next time…**


	11. The Northern Lights

twentynine

Chapter 11

The Northern Lights

**A/N: As I mentioned last time, this chapter will be about Aurora and Akito. I know I said this would be a "quick" Omake, but it's actually pretty long. I named it "The Northern Lights" after Aurora Borealis.**

**Note: I don't really know how recording studios work, so will you lend me a little leniency? :)**

_PLEASE READ_**: Would any of you be interested in me writing a one-shot for you? It could be of any pairing you like, with the genre however you want it. I'm thinking of doing a "giveaway" of a one-shot in celebration of the end of Season One, but for now I'm just testing the waters to see if anyone's interested. Leave me a review if you like the idea!**

**Disclaimer: I own neither **_**OHSHC**_** nor any of the other copyrighted things referenced in this chapter.**

XXIX

Aurora

"The dragon's coming!" Cassie exclaims, her voice laced with fear.

"Quick, we must to hasten to the dungeon!" I shout back.

"C'mon, it's this way! Hurry..."

"_CUT!_" The director's voice rings out from his almighty ergonomic chair. "Cassie, I want more energy on that line! I swear I've told you a dozen times!"

"You're right, you're right, sorry." She leans back in the chair and sighs. "Can we take a break?"

The director huffs and adjusts his chair, which squeaks under his (quite significant) heft. "We're off in ten minutes anyway. Let's just finish up here. But I want you to work on that line for next time, do you hear me?"

Cassie rubs her forehead. "Yeah, of course."

Grateful for the early closing, I stand up and stretch. Cassie and I are recording for _Twister_, an animated kid's movie about a girl who switches places with a princess from her storybook and has to save the princess's kingdom and find her way back home. The princess, however, has to find a way to survive in the real world without a dozen servants at her beck and call. It kind of reminds me of when I left my parent's house and had to try and make it on my own. Sure, being an Amsel didn't hurt my name recognition when I went into the modeling industry, but there were more struggles than I'd ever had when I was in school.

"You ready?" Cassie asks me. Cassie and I generally walk to the bus stop together. Hollywood isn't a bad neighborhood, but you can never be too careful. Besides, I'm… pretty, okay? I get hit on a lot, and it always feels safer to walk there with a friend than alone.

"One second." I gather my stuff up carefully, making sure I have my wallet and keys in the right pockets of my purse. My little sister calls me compulsive, but I'd rather think of myself as organized.

"Cassie." I hear a low voice call my friend's name, and I turn around quickly even though I'm not the one he asked for.

This is when I first meet him. Akito.

"Akito!" Cassie smiles and wraps a hand around the back of head to kiss him powerfully. He leans down and puts an arm around her waist. They kiss for what seems like a good few minutes, until I give a slight fake cough to remind them that I'm there too.

Cassie pulls away first and gives me mischievous smile. "Sorry, Aurora. This is my boyfriend, Akito."

The very best kind of people - the people that make life interesting - often give off a certain impression when you first meet them. Akito is one of those people. He looks like the type of guy to be the youngest millionaire in the world by day, and a supervillain by night. He's exceptionally tall, Asian, pale, and with a face that's meant for either glaring or sneering. Right now it's doing neither, which disappoints me.

Right now he just looks vaguely bored, as if nothing in the world could pique his interest, despite having just practically made out with one of the hottest girls I know. When his focus turns to me, though, the boredom turns to surprise, then perplexity. "Do I know you from somewhere?"

"I don't think so." If I'd met him before, I would have remembered him. That face doesn't seem like it'd be easily forgotten.

"No, I've seen you before, I'm sure of it." He cocks his head to the side. "But where?"

_Is that a line? Is he trying to hit on me?_ I wouldn't be too broken up about it if he was, but he has a girlfriend and she's standing literally two feet away from me. "I'm pretty sure we've never met."

"Akito, this is Aurora Amsel. She's the voice of the princess in _Twister_."

Recognition bursts forth on his handsome face. "Ah! You're an Amsel."

"You know my family?"

He smirks (and it's even better than I imagined). "Who doesn't? Amsel is no obscure name. But… let me explain myself." He holds his hand out for me to shake in greeting, and I take it unsurely. "We have never met, that is true. I am Akito Ootori. Our fathers are negotiating a business deal. Since the Ootori family is based in Japan, he sent me to work with your father for a few months. I recognized you from the picture on his desk of you and your sister."

"Oh! Well, it's nice to meet you." I brush a hand through my long blonde hair, and for a second it seems like his eyes are following the movement.

"Your families are friends, wow!" Cassie grins, oblivious to the fact that I am now majorly crushing on her boyfriend. "Small world. Anyway, what are you doing here, babe?"

His eyes snap back to her, and they seem to be filled with content at her presence. "I came to pick you up. You shouldn't be walking around at this time of ight." This bothers me a teensy-tiny embarrassing amount. Being the girl I am, I don't often find myself jealous of others, but with Cassie it's a different story. I have long blonde hair and blue eyes, I'm tall and well-proportioned, the whole model package. But Cassie… Cassie has something different.

Cassie's short and petite, thin enough to have a full thigh gap and everything. She's pale as the moon and has copper-colored hair that sort of reminds me of Ariel's. She keeps her striking green eyes behind thick-framed hipster glasses and her clothing style is effortless and casual, but still chic enough to have been plucked straight from a magazine - even though I know for a fact that most of her clothes come from thrift stores.

In short, she's the quirky heroine of a romance, and I'm the gorgeous friend who devilishly tries to tempt her boyfriend into going astray. I'm not the one who ends up with Mr. Tall, Dark, and Handsome. She is.

I don't know why this bothers me so much. Am I really that into Akito, or am I just jealous of Cassie? I try to convince myself it's the latter. I did just meet Akito. There's no reason for me to want to steal him away from Cassie.

I tell myself this half a dozen times, but whenever it seems like I might be able to stop staring at him, I see his pretty grey eyes and they just- they just take my breath away. I don't know why. I've met a _lot_ of hot guys in my time working as an actress/model, but something about Akito feels different. It's not like he's the most attractive guy I've ever met- for god's sake, I've worked with Calvin Klein models with muscles that would make a nun salivate. This guy, while thin and well-built, doesn't have that, but there's something about the way he holds himself that catches my interest. I just wish he was single.

It's not like I'm going to try to steal him away or something. I would never do that to Cassie. But it doesn't hurt just to have a little crush, right?

"Aurora? You okay?" Cassie waves a hand in front of my eyes, snapping me out of my train of thought.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I was just lost in thought," I smile. "Did you say something?"

"Akito was just saying he could take you home too. You two are staying in the same hotel."

"That's alright," I say. "I'll just take the bus."

"An Amsel taking the bus?" Akito smirks again, and my heart makes an imaginary 'ba-dump'. "Preposterous. And I wouldn't have any lady walk home at this time of night by herself. I have a driver, it will be no trouble."

"I s-suppose, then." Little-known fact about me - I have a tendency to stutter when I'm excited or nervous.

Cassie smirks at me, her expression mirroring her boyfriend's. "'Hollywood's Darling' stutters? This is a rare sight, Akito." I blush red at the mention of my nickname, Hollywood's Darling. I kind of hate it, but Akito's expressive eyes flash when he hears it and I feel a little proud, even if just in this moment.

XXIX

"Bye, Akito," Cassie grins, her bright eyes narrowed. She pulls him in for their second kiss of the evening, me sitting awkwardly across the two of them in the limo, hoping neither of them notices that I have a little thing for her boyfriend. "Bye, Aurora!" she adds in a much less sensual tone of voice, and waves to both of us.

I turn to her and wave back until she's out of sight, then I remain looking out the window so I don't have to look at Akito. It was fine to catch a few glimpses here and there while he was preoccupied talking to Cassie, but with just the two of us in the car, it's just too much to even look at him. It's even worse that he's staring me straight in the face unabashedly. I can't look right into his eyes! That's just… I want to blush and duck away, but instead I turn toward him. This isn't like me! I'm Aurora Amsel, heiress to the Amsel fortune and famous actress and model! I won't be enchanted by some random guy my coworker is dating!

Oops. As soon as I look at him, I have to look away. It really is too much. What if he thinks my expression is weird? What if he wonders why I'm staring at him? Ugh. This "crush" thing sucks.

"Aurora? Are you alright?" His smooth voice does nothing to calm my frazzled nerves, instead lighting them afire.

"Yes, yes, I'm fine. I'm just having a bit of an odd day. Could we turn some music on?"

"Of course. Driver?" It kind of annoys me that he calls the driver "driver". He should at least learn the man's name, right? However, that doesn't dampen my little crush very much.

The driver nods and soon the car is filled with classical music. It's not what I would expect, though - not calm, but instead filled with an awesome fury. After a moment of listening, I finally recognize it. "Is this from Carmina Burana?"

"Yes." Akito looks surprised. "You know it?"

"A little. I'll admit I'm not familiar with much classical, but I did recognize this. It's one of my favorites."

"Really," Akito remarks with a pondering look. "It's one of my favorites as well. What other types of music do you like?"

_What's this, a first date question? Nope, just wishful thinking._ "I like latin music, jazz, some classic rock."

At this, Akito bursts out laughing. "Really? You like classic rock?"

I blush for what seems like the fifth time today. What is it about me that says 'Vanilla'? "What?"

He chuckles again, his well-kept hair flopping into his face. "You just don't seem like the type."

"My sister introduced me to it. She's really into Pink Floyd, so I listened to some of their music. It wasn't really for me, but I found I liked some of the bands in the genre."

"So what do you like?" Akito brushes the lock of hair out of his eyes, and for a moment I'm so distracted by the movement that I miss the question.

"What? Oh, I like The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin… All the really popular ones, mostly."

"The Beatles I can understand, but you? The Rolling Stones? Led Zeppelin? I just can't see it," he tells me with a little smile.

"Have you ever heard 'Wild Horses'? What about 'Thank You'? Don't tell me I can't like those songs," I smile back.

"I suppose so."

It's surprisingly easy to talk to him (when my stupid, love-hungry brain isn't mooning over his facial features). In just the few moments we've been speaking, I've found him good company, a good person to speak to - and I don't ever want to stop.

But eventually, the limo pulls up at the Regis hotel where we're staying and our conversation cuts short. Leaving the limo reminds me that I shouldn't be cozying up to Cassie's boyfriend. Even if it's just friendly small talk, it still has harmful potential because I have this disgusting thing for him. I feel dirty, so I don't say a word to him from the moment we step out the car doors to our ride up the elevators together. It's awkward, but Akito doesn't seem to mind. His face is cool and collected, another expression that looks like his chiseled features were designed for it. Aside from a quick goodbye when the elevator stops at his floor, not a single word passes between us, to my relief (and a bit of disappointment as well). But I know it's for the best.

I shouldn't like this guy. Not one bit.

And whatever is endearing me to him should be gone soon as long as I stay away, right?

XXIX

The next time we meet is at the hotel cafe. It seems unfortunate that just once I've resolved not to see him or think about him anymore, I have to run into him the very next day. It's 5:30 in the morning - I always wake up early. It's an odd habit of mine, though not nearly as odd as Ariel's internal alarm clock. I just find myself waking up early almost every day, even when I've had very little sleep, like last night. For some reason, I couldn't seem to get my short conversation with Akito out of my head. I fell asleep with the picture of him laughing at me etched into my eyelids, and for some reason, I didn't mind much.

Now, in the light (or rather darkness) of the morning, I'm a little less enamoured with the tall, dark-haired gentleman I met last night. He's just a man, and god knows I've met plenty.

I've convinced myself almost completely that the whole ordeal from last night was just a twisted reaction to my jealousy of Cassie when I see him again. The girl behind the counter is whipping up my black coffee and making my sandwich (how lucky am I that this hotel has an all-hours cafe?) when she turns back around and her mouth drops open, eyes glued to something behind me. The look that forms on her face is one of a mixture of adoration and desperation. I know it well: it's the look men (and the occasional woman) give me when I smile at them. It's the look of infatuation at first sight. She nearly drops my coffee handing it over the counter, but a pale, long-fingered hand snatches it out of the air before it has the chance to spill.

I turn around to thank whoever just saved the front of my outfit - a flimsy white blouse and pale blue shorts that would _not_ have looked good with coffee stains - and find myself staring into the eyes that I haven't been able to stop myself from thinking about since yesterday.

"Aurora?" His voice is smoother than I'd remembered, not to mention glazed with the after-effects of sleep. It's not scratchy - just a slight bit languishing compared to what I remember.

_It's cute_, I find myself thinking before I catch myself. _What? No, it's not cute. And do you know what's also not cute? Preying on a guy who's totally taken. Even if he is totally gorgeous._

I really can't stop myself, can I? I just have to try to get out of this situation without engaging in conversation. "Hey, Akito," I reply hurriedly. "I was just leaving, so…"

I guess I'm not a subtle person. I nearly trip over my own feet trying to make it past him to the elevators, but he grabs my upper arm gently and anchors me to my spot. "What are you-?"

A single corner of his mouth turns up in a half-smile. "It seems that Hollywood's Darling is a bit absentminded. You forgot your food."

"And your wallet," the girl behind the counter chimes in, but he ignores her. Wow, another rude habit. Someone forgot to teach Akito manners when he was a kid.

"Oh. Thanks." I grab my wallet and stuff it in my purse, then gather up my various food items and try to step away, but Akito hasn't let go of my arm. I give him a pointed look, and he slowly releases me, as if surprised he'd been touching me in the first place.

"Sorry." His voice is still slow. It's pretty clear that he's tired. "Would you like to join me for breakfast?"

The urge to leave seems to fade a little every time he opens his mouth, so I nod quickly. Besides, it'd be rude to refuse him right after he saved my outfit, wouldn't it?

He orders in front of me, a black coffee and two cinnamon-sugar muffins, telling the girl (Emily, according to her nametag) brusquely to "make it quick". Once again, his rudeness aggravates me. Her face blushes pink and I'm glad not to be on the receiving end of his coldness. While her back is turned and she's busy preparing the food, I pull him to the side.

"You shouldn't talk to her like that," I say, my voice as commanding as I can make it in his presence.

"Like what?" He looks genuinely bewildered.

"Like she's below you!" I hiss.

He crosses his arms. "She works in service. It's her job to do what I tell her."

"That doesn't mean you have to be rude about it! If you're polite to her, you'll make her day, I promise. Just try it?"

He rolls his eyes, a very boyish gesture for someone who seems as put-together as he is. "Your food's ready, sir!" I hear Emily's squeaky voice ring out from behind the counter. As Akito hands her his black credit card, I feel his glance slide over to me slightly.

"Thank you… Emily." He tells the girl uncertainly as she hands him his drink and muffins.

She blushes again, but this time it's probably out of happiness. I smile to myself. _Look who's acting polite to the service workers finally! Maybe he'll even start calling his driver by name… Nah, that's wishful thinking._

We settle down at a secluded table in a corner behind a large potted plant. Emily, who's seen me almost every day since my sister and I came to live in this hotel a few years ago, knows me, and knows that I'm _the_ Aurora Amsel. She and the other hotel staff are plenty discreet, but last year I had pictures taken of me by a fellow guest which got into a magazine somehow. No harm came of it, but I do like a little privacy here and there, hence the potted plant.

It's not like there are many people around (in fact, at 5:30 in the morning, I'm not surprised that there is no one else in the little cafe), but it never hurts to be careful. Akito seems to understand this completely despite my not having said anything about it, as he is the one who guided the two of us away from the more high-traffic area of the cafe.

It fits with the whole persona he's built up with the tallness and the business suits even before the sun comes up - he's the type of person who just knows things like this, that I want to be out of the sightline, that I'd be upset if he was any more rude to that girl than he'd already been. I like it.

I remind myself again of Cassie. If he's dating Cassie, then he'd never want me. We're just too different. Besides, who would leave Cassie? That pretty hair, those "come-hither" eyes - even I've thought about _it_ a little. If I had to pick a girl, that is.

Ahem. That's not the point. I'm already falling all over Cassie's boyfriend, I can't be into her too. No, one inappropriate crush will do for now, even though I'd rather have zero inappropriate crushes.

"So, Aurora." His eyes focus on mine. "What are you doing awake at this time of morning?"

"I could ask the same of you." I gently swirl the stirring stick though the dark liquid as I wait for it to cool off.

His eyes crinkle, forming tiny creases that indicate that he doesn't laugh much. "I asked first, didn't I?"

Again, the childish comeback takes me by surprise, but I suppose he's right. "I just woke up early. It's a habit of mine."

Akito takes a sip of his black coffee and momentarily winces.

"What?" I ask.

"...It's hot." Abandoning the coffee for the moment, he takes a bite out of one of his muffins.

"Freshly-made coffee usually is," I chuckle goodnaturedly.

The corners of his lips turn down in a soft frown, almost like a pout (if the word pout could be used to describe Akito Ootori). "I know."

"Why are you up so early?" I ask in return to his previous query.

"I couldn't sleep last night. I had some rather grueling contracts to go over. Your father is many things, Aurora Amsel, but he is not succinct."

"You were up all night? No wonder you look so tired!"

"I look tired?" He sounds surprised.

True, this is only my second time meeting Akito, but I can tell by the sound of his voice that he's sleepy. It was obvious as soon as I heard it. "More like you sound tired. I can hear it in your voice."

His expression turns to a smirk, as if he knows something I don't. "Really, now, does it?"

I'm trying not to blush like the squeaky little Emily. Why is it that everything this man says to me affects me in this way? It's maddening. "Yes, it does. You should get some sleep."

His face reverts back to it's resting state of detachment. "I can't. I have work to do today."

"What exactly do you do? Do you work in your father's company?"

"No," he replies, taking another bite of muffin and chewing it slowly before adding to his response. "I'm in medical school right now. I plan not to inherit my father's company, but to be a part of it as a doctor. I'm off on summer break now, my father just asked me to go over this business deal because he and my older brother are busy."

"Older brother? Do you have any other siblings?"

His face darkens and I gulp a little. Akito's face affects me way too much. "I have an older brother and a younger brother. I'll leave it at that."

"Why?" I hear myself asking despite my gut feeling not to probe into this. "What's your younger brother like?"

His dark eyes flash toward me. "He is naive. He seems to think that he can somehow inherit the company despite being the third son. I've tried to tell him to give up, but he somehow got it into his brain that he has a _chance_." Suddenly Akito sighs. "I don't know why, but I can't convince him to let it go. He would certainly be excellent at anything he chose to pursue, he's certainly intelligent enough to get anything he want - except this."

I feel a mixture of anger and fear wash through me. This 'accepting your destiny' talk has me on edge. One can imagine why I might be upset - I'm the heir to the Amsel line, and yet, as my father puts it, I'm "wasting my life" on acting and modeling. I know that sooner or later I may have to step up and become a true part of the family business, but I don't want it to be so. Ariel could always inherit the company: she's smart, passionate, and eager. At this point in her life she's a bit misguided, but I'm sure it's just a phase she'll grow out of. I certainly had my own phases when I was her age.

I grip my napkin tightly between my fingers. "Don't decide your brother's path like that. It's his choice. I'm sure that if he works hard, he'll be able to do what he wants in life."

He gives a wry huff of laughter. "Sorry. I suppose you know more than I do about defying you parents' wishes."

I'm not sure whether that was supposed to be a compliment or an insult, but I choose to accept the apology. I can sense that it's the best I'm going to get, anyway.

The coffee should have cooled enough to drink by now, so I take a sip. Aahhhh. The bitterness and warmth swell through me, waking up my senses even before the caffeine has had a chance to make it into my bloodstream. I love coffee. It's especially perfect at this time of day, before the summer heat of LA has had a chance to sink into the air. The heat of the paper cup warms my hands and I wrap them around it gently.

"So when are you going to head back to… where are you from, again?"

"Japan. And I'll be back there by the end of the summer. I do have school to get to."

I want to ask about what will happen to his relationship with Cassie, but that would just be plain rude. I still wonder, though. Will they break up? Continue in a long distance relationship? How serious are they? The certainly can't be full-on in love right now. From what Akito said, He must only have come to the US when his summer holiday started, and while I, not having attended college, don't know the exact date that holidays begin, I must surmise that it has been less than a month. If it's been less than a month, it's not too serious, right?

I need a cold shower. I can't believe I'm so into Akito that I'm judging the seriousness of his relationship with Cassie. It's unhealthy, and I have to stop myself. I just can't seem to tear myself away from him.

For the rest of breakfast, we chatter on and on about aimless subjects. He asks me about my family, and I tell him all about Ariel - my wild little sister with a lion's mane of red hair and a problem with authority - and make him promise to keep whatever I say out of the tabloids. He seems surprised by my request, as if there was no need to ask, and that anything I said would automatically stay between us.

We talk about music (I recommend a few newer indie bands and he urges me to try some classical music I've never heard of), film (I have a strange affinity for Studio Ghibli and he tries to convince me that he's never seen _My Neighbor Totoro_, but I can tell he's lying), and nothing in particular. The time seems to fly by when I'm speaking with him on casual terms, and soon we observe the sun coming up together through the panoramic glass windows on the east side of the hotel.

When guests start to fill up the quiet corners of the cafe, we finally decide it's about time to start the day, apart.

"I'm going to pick up Cassie today," Akito adds hesitantly as he picks up his coat and scribbles down his room number on the bill. "Will you be there?"

"Yeah," I smile, and hate myself for being excited.

As we leave the table, I notice something odd. Akito's coffee cup is full, still as full as when we started talking. It's as if… he only took that one sip.

Why?

XXIX

"Oh man, he drank coffee? I can't believe it!" Cassie's sultry 60's barroom singer voice bubbles up into riotous laughter.

"Not really, he only drank a sip. What's so funny?"

"Still, he ordered black coffee? He must really want to impress you."

"What are you talking about?" I'm bewildered by Cassie's odd reaction to my mentioning to her Akito and my conversation from earlier.

Cassie wipes a tear from the corner of her eye and gives me a last chuckle. "Akito _hates_ bitter-tasting food. He can't stand coffee. It's not very well known, but he really has a sweet tooth. Soda, candy, cake, pie - it's really weird, but he eats sweets all the time. I'm surprised he don't have diabetes or something. He's only as thin as he is because he works out a lot."

"That's really weird…" I think to myself about the two cinnamon-sugar muffins that he ate for breakfast this morning. "Why'd he get coffee then?"

"Like I said, he's probably trying to impress you or something. I guess he didn't want you knowing how much of a baby he is about bitter foods."

"Did you just call me a baby?" Akito's cool voice resounds from the entrance to the recording studio.

"Akito!" Cassie squeals, her voice filled with jubilation at her boyfriend's arrival. She practically leaps into his arms, and pulls her in close for a lingering kiss that leaves my stomach churning. I feel so out-of-place in this scene of two - well, if not lovers, then definitely a couple. They look as perfect for each other as they always do, he a well-groomed businessman and she a spunky emerging actress, like something out of a paperback romance novel.

A new emotion has also planted itself in my chest, and it takes me a moment to recognize it because it's not entirely familiar to me.

Jealousy.

I'm jealous of Cassie.

I want to be the one kissing Akito. I want to be the one who gets to throw herself into his arms after a long day at the studio and be completely enveloped in his presence. I want to be the one whose hair he brushes out of her face when it gets in the way of their kiss.

I don't want to be the one he greets second, like an afterthought.

"Hello, Ariel."

"Hey, Akito."

What am I doing? I have no right to be jealous of Cassie. I've got no hold on Akito, in fact, I barely know him! A few conversations don't give me a right to fantasize about taking Cassie's place. How disgusted would she be if she knew what I was thinking right now? How disgusted would Akito be?

"You okay, Ariel? You look weird."

Cassie, as usual, does not mince her words. "I'm fine. I'm just thinking."

"'Bout what?"

"Nothing, really. Are you ready to go?"

"Sure."

Akito's driver winds up through the city streets with the simple dexterity of someone who's been raised in Los Angeles. He maneuvers his way to Cassie's apartment with ease, and drops her off (after a long kiss with Akito).

As she leaves the car, Akito turns to me and looks a bit… sheepish. "Sorry about that."

"Nothing to apologize for," I tell him. If he felt the need to tell me sorry, he must have seen my strained expression. I really have to reign it in, or else someone is going to find out that I'm in love with Akito.

"Wait, what?" I tell myself, so shocked at the thought of _loving_ Akito that I speak the words aloud. I don't love Akito! Sure, I may have an intense crush that crosses the border of "like", but to call it love so early on is ridiculous. And I shouldn't even be thinking the words "early on". Hopefully my crush will go away as soon as I find a way to make it.

Unfortunately, as poets, singers, and artist since the beginning of time have proved, there is no steadfast way to get rid of a crush.

"Aurora? Did you say something?"

"Oh! Uh… no, I didn't. You must be hearing things." Akito gives me a strange look. Sensing some further questions about my little outburst, I quickly change the subject. "So, I hear you have a little sweet tooth."

The color drains from Akito's face (though, admittedly, he was pale to begin with). "How did you hear about that?"

"Cassie," I tell him by way of explanation.

He sighs wearily. "Of course. I tried to tell her to keep that little fact under wraps, but Cassie doesn't exactly follow orders, does she?"

Though I don't really feel comfortable talking about my crush's girlfriend's shortcomings in his presence, I laugh along with him. "She's a bit headstrong."

"It is part of her appeal. Though I don't know…" Something in his expression changes for just a moment, and his eyes flit toward mine. I want to wonder what it means, but I know that it probably doesn't mean anything. Then, before I know it, he's back to normal.

"Why do you care if people know that you like sweet things? I mean, you bought a coffee and drank a sip just to try to convince me you liked it. Why go to all the trouble?"

"I don't know. I suppose the idea of an Ootori having a sweet tooth is just a bit absurd. It would be like Hollywood's Darling saying she _doesn't_ like sweets."

I'm taken aback by his coincidentally spot-on guess. "I don't."

His eyebrows furrow together. "You don't what?"

"I don't like sweet things. I mean, I'll eat them occasionally, but I just think sugar gets a bit overbearing in large amounts. It just doesn't appeal to me."

"Really," he says, not as a question but more as a statement. "But your reputation - it's odd to think that Hollywood's Darling dislikes sweets. It just doesn't fit your image."

I shrug. "That's what I'm saying. If someone found out that I don't like sweets, they might think it was odd, but it wouldn't ruin my reputation or anything. It's just a little quirk of mine. I'm sure the same could be said of you."

The limo reaches the hotel and this time, we continue the conversation into the lobby and up the elevator.

"I just…" Akito fusses, running his hand through his hair and straightening his tie. "I just think it's odd."

"Think what's odd?"

"That you don't like sweets. I mean, it's natural to dislike bitter food. It tastes awful. But sweets are just… they're pleasing to the taste buds."

"Bitter food isn't so bad," I cross my arms. "Coffee may take a little getting used to, but it's worth it once you've acquired the taste."

"Fine, let's agree to disagree on coffee. But why don't you like sweet things?"

"Can you keep a secret?"

A corner of his mouth curls up. For someone who seems so unused to smiling, he sure does it a lot. "Yes."

"I used to really love anything sugary. I would eat junk food all the time, enough to make me sick. I wasn't chubby because I have good metabolism, but I was a very unhealthy person."

"Were you really? I can't imagine it."

"I was. Mind you, this was when I was in middle school, so it was a long time ago. I was having a birthday party. I was so excited for it - I had planned for at least a month in advance. We were going to go to a movie and then my parents rented out an entire circus for me and my friends to watch. It should have been spectacular. But on that day I ate so much unhealthy food - cake, candy, soda, ice cream, everything you can think of - that I got sick and had to spend my entire birthday lying down in bed. Since then, just the thought of eating anything very sugary is disgusting."

I end my short little story to the sound of laughter from Akito. He's laughing harder than I've ever heard him, one hand covering his mouth and the other around his stomach. "Did you- did you really eat so much that you were sick? That's hilarious!"

"At the time, I was quite miserable," I admonish defensively, but I quickly dissolve into laughter myself. Though it's not my fondest memory, it did inspire me to learn moderation when it came to food, a lesson that has helped me stay healthy to this day.

Finally the elevator stops at Akito's floor, and he bids me goodbye. I feel elated. I don't tell the birthday story to many people, but for some reason it just came out around him. It feels like I can trust him with anything, although I know that's ridiculous.

I just wish my heart would listen to my brain.

XXIX

The days since I met Akito seem to go by as mundanely as they did before, but somehow it feels like everything has changed. It seems like my days are filled with him. Every day we meet at the little cafe in the hotel and have breakfast before the sun comes up. We talk for hours about various things that wouldn't really matter to me if it were anyone but him. Then I spend the day thinking about him before he picks me and Cassie up - the way he looks, the things he says, how he speaks, what it would be like to be with him. I think about all the things I've learned about him from our conversations: that he wishes he were closer to his family but he was raised not to desire emotional connection, that he was so alone as a kid that he has an extreme dislike (read: fear) of crowds now.

It's odd, the things you can admit to a perfect stranger when society doesn't tell you that you owe them 's no obligation, and yet the two of us seem to be sharing details about our lives that I would describe as secrets if I didn't know any better.

However, I guess we're no longer strangers. We know each other and see each other enough to be called friends.

I only wish I was satisfied with friendship.

We're on a break at the studio. Cassie and I are taking our lunches together, but I'm the only one eating. She finished her daily lunch of a bag of chips and a Snickers from the vending machine, and now she's playing a game on her phone while I devour my leftovers from last night's dinner - fettucine alfredo (and a side salad that I'm less excited about).

"Can I tell you something?" Cassie asks me, having put down that 2048 game (which she is _insanely_ good at).

"Sure," I manage between bites.

"And you're not going to be mad?"

"Uh, I can't say until you tell me, but probably not."

"Well…" she fiddles with one copper-colored braid. "I'm breaking up with Akito."

"..._What?!_" I'm befuddled. They always seemed so great together! I can't deny that a part of me is burning up with excitement, but I know that the two of them breaking up doesn't automatically mean that the two of us will start dating. In fact, I'll probably stop seeing him - it'll have to be awkward for him to be friends with the friend of the girl who just dumped you.

"Yeah. It just isn't working between us."

"Why? I really thought you two were great together." It's the truth. All of my jealousy stemmed from the fact that Cassie and Akito were so good for each other. They looked good together, their personalities were similar - hell, they even looked good kissing!

"Well, it was fun for a while, but I don't know. It just didn't feel real. It wasn't that serious to begin with, and I can't keep it up knowing it's going to end in a few months anyway."

"Wow. Are you okay?"

"Yeah." Cassie stretches her hands towards the ceiling, and smiles at me. "Actually, there's something else. Well, I should say there's _someone_ else."

"Hold up. You're cheating on Akito?"

Shewaves her arms. "No! No way. I'd never cheat on anyone, that's just not me. But… I do have a crush. And I figure, if I were truly into Akito, I wouldn't have a crush on someone else, right?"

"I guess…" Seeing how my brain is currently addled with affection for Akito, I can't really see myself having a crush on someone else, but I suppose I can understand the logic.

"And I know you're friends with him, so I want you to promise me something, okay?"

_Is she going to make me promise not to hang out with Akito? If she does I'll say yes, but I don't really want to._ "Okay."

She looks me straight in the eyes, her green ones piercing into my blue ones as if she could stare straight into my soul. "Go after him, okay, Aurora?"

_She knows? How? I guess I haven't exactly been subtle, but I always thought she was so caught up in being with him that she wouldn't notice. Wait. Is this why she's breaking up with him?!_

Seeing my look of guilt and distress and sensing what I'm thinking, Cassie shakes her head. "I'm not breaking up with him because of you."

"But-"

"I'm not, I swear. If I was really into Akito, I'd fight for him. I wouldn't let another girl steal him away. I know you're not the type to go after a guy your friend dated, so I wanted to assure you that it's okay. It didn't work out between the two of us, but that doesn't mean that it can't work out between the two of you. There's a chance it could turn out to be something special, so promise me that you'll actually go after him. Okay?"

Stunned silent by Cassie's little speech, I just nod slowly, my eyes wide.

I can't believe this. Did that really just happen? It's exactly what I wanted, to the letter, but instead of feeling happy, I'm torn. My gut is churning and my heart is racing. Before, I had an excuse not to pursue Akito, but now I have to. And it's not that I don't want him - god knows I do - but I'm just so nervous. It occurs to me that I've never asked a guy out in my lifetime. I've always waited for someone to proposition me first.

What if he thinks I'm being too forward? What if he doesn't want to be friends with me since ha and Cassie will no longer be an item?

I want to go after him, I really do. I just wish I knew how.

XXIX

_Somebody help me_.

I slump on the table of the hotel bar, nursing an expensive scotch that's going to waste on my unrefined tastes. It's been three weeks since Cassie broke up with Akito, and I still haven't tried to make a move. At first I could convince myself that it was too soon - Akito was rightfully dejected when Cassie dumped him and it just wasn't a good time to put myself out there. I've been playing the supportive friend pretty well, but I'm just not satisfied.

I want to be dating him. Kissing him. Doing… other things with him. Going to movies and eating at restaurants, walking in parks and messing around in bookstores. It's not like I haven't done those things with other guys, but the idea of doing them with him is somehow so much more exciting.

I drain my whiskey and get up from the barstool. It's probably a good time to go shopping. New clothes always make me feel better.

As I pass through the doors of the lobby through a little alley that's a shortcut to the best shops, a little flash from the bushes to my right catches my eye. _A camera?_

I turn to see two men holding their phones up to me. One of them is about my age, dressed stylishly, long hair in a man-bun. The other is maybe a little bit older. His hair is slicked back with what looks like a copious amount of hair gel and he looks prim in a sharply-cut business suit which stands out against the dark alley.

"Hey, babe," says Man Bun with a sneer that says nothing good.

I begin to regret taking this shortcut.

I try to ignore him and walk past, but he grabs my arm roughly. "Don't go so fast, honey. Don't I know you from somewhere?"

I roll my eyes at the cheesy line and try to wrest my arm free of his grasp to no avail."If you were taking pictures of me, you know exactly who I am."

"You're right," says Hair Gel. "You're Aurora Amsel, aren't you? The actress."

"Tell your buddy to let go of me," I growl.

"Come on, babe, I just want a picture with you!" Man Bun whines.

"If you'd asked nicely, I might've said yes, but you had to be a jerk about it, so no."

"Well…" Man Bun leers at me. "Y'see… my buddy and I aren't really used to asking nicely." He nods at Hair Gel and something passes between them.

Hair Gel suddenly slams me against the wall. My hands are pinned up against the dark wall and I push against the wall to get away from the scent of his nasty cologne. He's so tall, towering over my 5'6 even in heels, but he bends down and his breath washes over my face. "Do you really think it's a good idea to be saying no to two men right now? You're just a pretty little girl. You should do everything we ask."

_Ugh. Just my luck to get cornered by not one creepy lech, but two._ The look in his eyes is of a guy so hungry to feel power over another human being that he's okay with assaulting someone to get it. "If you touch me, I'll make you regret it."

The two of them snicker in unison. "Nice try, babe," says Man Bun.

Hair Gel comes closer to me and brings his hand up to unbutton my shirt.

_Nope._

Before he can touch me, I bring my leg up at the perfect angle to hit him _right_ in the sack. As my foot connects with the junction of his legs, I feel incredibly good - probably too good - but hey, this guy deserves it. How many girls has this guy felt up, or worse? He's just getting what was coming to him.

He goes down with a sharp cry of anguish, like an old cat whose tail was stepped on forcefully. I'm sure I felt something rip, so I'm assuming he'll be down (clutching his balls and whimpering) for a while. Next, I turn to Man Bun, who looks sufficiently scared.

"Your turn," I grin, and he barely tries to run away before I grab his lapel as roughly as he grabbed my arm earlier and give him a hard right hook that'll (hopefully) leave some lasting damage. He's knocked out cold, with a broken nose that left some pervert blood on my hand.

I ignore it for now and leave the two of them in the alley. Time to call the police. As I step out of the alley, I hear whispering and see a group of high school students staring at me. "Are you Aurora Amsel?"

"Did you just beat up those two guys?"

They crowd around me and clamor for answers. _Oh, no._ This is the last thing I need right now. I can't have the world thinking I beat up two guys for no reason, but I don't want anyone to know I was almost assaulted either. I need my privacy right now. Where were these people when I was being leered at by those two creeps?

"Can-can you l-leave me alone?" I stutter, my confidence from just having beaten up those two guys leaving me.

"Hey, isn't that Aurora Amsel?" Passerby continue to join the crowd around me until there are people taking pictures all around me. "Why are her hands bloody?"

Suddenly I hear a loud pop and a bright flash of light, brighter than phone cameras. The paparazzi found me. I turn automatically and see a group of paparazzi shoving their way through the crowd to circle around me like vultures. "Hey Aurora, look over here!" "Miss Amsel, show us your hands!"

Someone shoves a microphone into my face and I feel so overwhelmed. This is a different kind of assault, but I hate it just the same. "Aurora, why did you hit those two men? Give us a statement, sugar!"

The overly familiar nickname reminds me of Man Bun and I try to take a step back, but the crowd is pushing into me from all sides.

_Somebody help… Akito…_ I feel my knees weakening.

Someone pushes through the crowd.

Someone puts their arm under my shoulders.

Someone holds me up and pulls me close.

"_It's okay, Aurora. You're okay_."

Akito pushes back the paparazzi and gives me a space to stand in. He keeps his arm around my waist and shelters me from the invasive camera flashes.

"A-Akito? What are you doing here?"

"I saw what happened. I tried to get to you, but there were just so many people." He swallows hard, and I remember something he told me - he hates crowds. They make him nervous. In his words, "being around so many people just makes my skin crawl."

He braved the crowd for me?

"Who's this guy, Aurora?" shouts one of the paparazzo. "Is he your partner in crime?"

"She's not a criminal." Akito's voice isn't especially loud, but it's so commanding and powerful that a shiver passes through the entire crowd and they quiet down. "She was attacked by those two men. What you see here," he motions to my bloody hand, "is merely a result of her excellent self-defense."

"Oh my god!"

"Aurora Amsel was _attacked_?"

"Does that mean-"

"Someone should call 911!"

In an instant, at least half a dozen people are on their phones calling the police. One of the more burly guys in the crowd stomps over to the two pervs to keep an eye on them, but Man Bun is still out cold and Hair Gel is still on the ground as well, holding his nads and whining.

"Who are you?" the same paparazzo asks with a tone of persistence that convinces me that he's not going to take 'no comment' for an answer.

"My name is Akito Ootori. I am a friend of Miss Amel's family."

"You're her boyfriend, aren't you?" My heart leaps into my throat.

Akito looks shocked for a second, then turns to me, searching for permission for something. I hesitate, then nod slightly. He just saved me. He has permission to say whatever he wants.

"Yes. Aurora and I are dating." A ripple of shock passes through the crowd and before I can even react, more pictures are being taken and more microphones are being pointed toward us.

"Is this true, Aurora?"

"Is this your boyfriend?"

"How did you two meet?"

"How long have you two been dating?"

What I'm feeling right now is probably my soul leaving my body. _WHAT ON EARTH DID AKITO JUST SAY? THAT WE'RE DATING?_ Since I'm not really in a place to speak right now, I'm relieved when Akito takes charge of the situation. "Would you please let us through?"

Since the paparazzi apparently have no intentions of moving, Akito weaves through the group of teenagers, holding my hand to guide me. Holding my hand. I just had to say that again. It's so unexpected. I can't believe it. I can't believe any of this.

He pulls me off the sidewalk and into the hotel where the crowd is stopped by security. I'm even more surprised (if that's possible) when he takes me up in the elevator and then to his room.

It's very well kept, to say the least, though that could be because of the daily maid service that Ariel and I have opted out of most of the time. He has few belongings and his clothes are all in one large suitcase, odd considering he's been here for almost two months. He takes a seat in an overstuffed armchair and I flop down on his bed, grateful for the chance to rest if nothing else.

"Thank you for helping me back there. You really saved me," I tell him.

"It was nothing."

"No, it wasn't. I know you hate crowds."

"I do. But… I knew you were in trouble. Nothing else seemed to matter."

I can't really respond to that. Instead, I change the topic to what's been weighing on my mind since we left the crowd. "So… are you going to tell me why you told those people that we're dating?"

He looks at me, avoiding my eyes, and then leans back in the chair and heaves a deep sigh.

"I said it because I want it to be true."

_?_

_Okay, I must have heard that wrong. Stupid crush, affecting my hearing._

"You want to date me?!"

He blushes the tiniest amount and puts his head in his hands. "I apologize. I will go to the press and take it back right away. I did not mean to ruin your reputation. I simply spoke without thinking."

I'm still processing the fact that _Akito wants to date me_ when I realize that he doesn't think I want to date him. "No, no! Don't take it back, please."

He looks up at me, still avoiding my eyes. "Why?"

"Because… because…"

He stares at me, waiting for an answer.

"Because I want it to be true too."

XXIX

I dip my toes in the cool blue of the lagoon, tetting to water soothe my feet from the heat of the summer. Our honeymoon has been going splendidly.

It surprised me a lot when Akito decided to stay in America after the deal with my dad was over against his father's wishes. It surprised me more when he proposed. We had the wedding quickly, and I've been so caught up in the swirling vortex of wedding planning that our honeymoon has been the first chance I've had to relax in quite a while.

It's okay, though. Everything is fun when I'm with him.

I never knew that our little mutual crush would blossom into love. I guess this is what can be classified as true love, though it sounds cheesy to say it out loud.

It may be lame, but I firmly believe that we were meant for each other.

"Here," Akito hands me a cold drink and joins me on the edge of our overwater bungalow. His drink is something fruity and sweet, while mine is just a plain old beer. Sweet and not-so-sweet. It may not fit our personalities, but it works.

Just like us.

XXIX

**A/N: So there you go! Akito and Aurora's story. I hope this explains why he changed from being a cold hard-ass to being slightly nicer. Falling in love will do that to ya.**

**Writing this story made me a lot sadder about Aurora dying. I hope reading it helped you connect to her character and feel a bond with her (that's why this chapter was so long, tbh).**

**Thank you so much for being there for me, for reading, favoriting, following, and especially reviewing. I'm feeling very emotional right now. ;_; Please continue to do so!**

_PLEASE READ_**: Would any of you be interested in me writing a one-shot for you? It could be of any pairing you like, with the genre however you want it. I'm thinking of doing a "giveaway" of a one-shot in celebration of the end of Season One, but for now I'm just testing the waters to see if anyone's interested. Leave me a review if you like the idea!**

**Fun Fact #11: Aurora was bisexual, although she never really got a chance to explore it in her lifetime.**

**About the Author: I'm asexual and panromantic, which means I don't feel sexual attraction to specific people, but I can feel romantic attraction to people of any gender. That's not to say I can't write good sex scenes, though!**

**What's your sexual/romantic orientation? Leave me a review!**

**Until next time...**


	12. Sweet Sixteen

twentynine

Chapter 12

Sweet Sixteen

**A/N: Hello, darlings! Today I give you a sweet chapter and a short author's note to go with it.**

_PLEASE READ_**: Would any of you be interested in me writing a one-shot for you? It could be of any pairing you like, with the genre however you want it. I'm thinking of doing a "giveaway" of a one-shot in celebration of the end of Season One, but for now I'm just testing the waters to see if anyone's interested. Leave me a review if you like the idea!**

**Disclaimer: I own neither **_**OHSHC**_** nor any of the other copyrighted things referenced in this chapter.**

XXIX

Ariel

"So how do you like being back in Japan?"

I roll my eyes at the question. Hikaru's asked this question twice already today. It seems like he was more worried about my running off to LA than I thought. I guess he's trying to make sure I like it enough not to leave again (at least, not to leave so suddenly). "I like it fine here. Aside from the butt-load of homework from the classes I missed, I'm fine. Speaking of which, do you think Tamaki will be mad if I miss club today and work on it in the library?" I say the name 'Tamaki', but everyone in the club knows I'm really talking about Kyoya. He's the one who'll really be pissed if I miss too much club.

"No!" Kaoru waves his arms back and forth. "You have to go to club today!"

"Uh, why?" I stare at him suspiciously.

"Um… Kyoya said he'd be mad if you missed any more club than you already have," Haruhi chimes in.

I gear up to argue - something here smells fishy - but the teacher shushes us loudly and I slump back into my seat where Momoka gives me a look of sympathy.

When the last bell rings, the twins each take one of my arms and drag me toward Music Room #3 with Haruhi following closely behind us. "What's going on-"

The twins drop my arms and pull open the doors of the Music Room. Inside, the whole host club plus even the guests are lined up on either side of the entrance, each holding a Dream Come True rose - _my_ rose. In the corner is a huge pile of presents in every shape, size, and color. _Ominous_.

"_Happy Birthday, Ariel!_"

Dumbfounded, I need a little push from Haruhi to get me moving down the aisle. Each guest hands me the yellow-and-red flower that represents my membership in the Host Club and I take each one carefully so as not to prick myself on their thorns. At the end of the aisle, Tamaki gives me a huge bouquet of roses in every color - each representing a different member of the host club. I tuck the roses I received into it and then look up at him, wide-eyed for and explanation.

"Your birthday was this Sunday, but no one knew about it. Princess, I am so sorry for this grievous mistake. I beg your forgiveness."

_He's doing the 'Prince' thing to me? _Me_?_ "How did you find out my birthday, anyway?"

"Akito told me after you came back," Kyoya tells me. "I couldn't pass up such an occasion to… celebrate." Something about the way he says it sends chills up my spine, but not the bad kind. Definitely not the bad kind.

"We prepared a party for you!" Honey's face is shining with excitement, probably due to the promise of cake in the near future.

"Thanks, but you really didn't have to do this." I protest, but Tamaki shakes his head.

"Nonsense. It's our pleasure to celebrate such an occasion as our newest host's sixteenth birthday." He sits me down in a chair at the head of a large table and the guests crowd around me, giving me congratulations and asking me questions.

"It was so hard not saying anything about your party," says Momoka, "but it was worth it to see the look of surprise on your face."

"You were so surprised, Ari-kun! It was hilarious." For the thousandth time, I'm grateful that I can't blush. Did I really look that surprised? I was, though.

The twins disappear into the kitchen and then emerge holding a huge birthday cake. Three-tiered; frosted in yellow, red, and peach-pink; covered in candles; it looks like Honey's dream cake. The two of them set the monstrosity in front of me and I wonder how we're going to eat the whole thing, even with all of us here.

"Do you like it?" Tamaki asks, his puppy-dog tail wagging back and forth repeatedly.

"Yeah," I grin up at him. I still can't believe they did this. No one outside of my family has ever thrown me a birthday party before. This is way too much, but I love it all the same.

Honey gets ready to dig in with a fork and knife, but Tamaki stops him at the last moment. "Wait! We have to sing the birthday song."

_Are they really going to sing this? In Japanese?_ A piano appears out of nowhere (I've pretty much gotten used to things like happening in the host club) and Tamaki sits down at the keys. _Apparently so_.

He starts to play the intro to a stylized version of happy birthday and I try not to roll my eyes. This is sweet, after all, even if it is incredibly corny. _Are they going to sing in Japanese? I kind of doubt that people in Japan know the English version of "Happy Birthday". It doesn't exactly seem like something they teach you in English class in a high-class school like this._

"_Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Ariel, happy birthday to you!_" It comes as a surprise when everyone starts to sing in highly accented English (I suppose accents come out more when people sing). During the song, I just sit awkwardly in front of my huge cake wondering what happened to my life. This time last year, I was in my hotel suite smoking a blunt with Luther to commemorate my turning 15. Now, a year later, I'm surrounded by people who actually give a shit about me.

When the song is over, I turn to Kyoya. "Why- how- what?"

He sighs with good-natured annoyance. "Tamaki insisted that we all learn the English words of the song. He said it was 'tradition'. We did it on Monday, when you were at home." This is amazing. I had no idea I was well-liked enough to get even the guests to learn the songs in English. I guess I have to give up my rebel status, huh? Somehow, I'm not too broken up about it.

"Wow. I can't believe you did it too." I smirk at Kyoya, and he turns away and adjusts his glasses.

"I can be a team player when I want to."

"Ariel!" Hikaru calls out.

"C'mon!" says Kaoru.

"What?" I yell back across the table.

"_Make a wish!_" They shout in unison.

I suppose it's that time of the birthday party. Okay. I usually like to think about my wishes beforehand, but this one caught me by surprise. Maybe it's silly, but I like to put a little more stock into my birthday wishes than most. After all, they represent what you want most out of this year, right? May as well think about it.

What do I want most out of this year?

_I wish… I wish to become closer with all of my friends this year._ I blow out the candles. Maybe a bit anticlimactic, but at least it's genuine. I want to be close with the hosts, as well as the other friends friends I've made in Japan.

Speaking of which, I wonder where Nekozawa is. He probably didn't know it was my birthday, and I can't see the hosts inviting him. It's too bright in the host club, and the hosts don't really like him (though I don't know why. He and I get along really well).

When I got back, Nekozawa told me how worried he was (not in so many words, however). I guess having a little sister kind of… softens you up a bit.

"What did you wish for?" Honey asks me with wide eyes. I open my mouth to tell him, but Mori stops me.

"She can't tell you, Mitsukuni. If she does, her wish won't come true."

_Oh, yeah. I'd forgotten about that little rule._ "Sorry, Honey." I smile and put a finger over my lips.

"That's okay! I want Ari-kun's wish to come true!"

When the whole wish business is over with, I get to cut the cake. I try to help serve it out, but the hosts sit me back down and instead serve it to me and the other guests. It's delicious. Soft and moist, the cake has a texture that reminds me of one I once had at a famous parisian pastry shop. The color of the inside of the cake is bright apple red, but it tastes like peaches, light and crisp but at the same time unbelievably decadent. It's moments like these that I'm glad I don't have to worry about my weight too much, because I feel like I'm going to gain a few pounds just from _looking_ at it. Some of the more calorie-counting ladies at the table opt out of the cake and eat a small bowl of fresh fruits instead, provided by Tamaki (who, all the while, insists that they are lovely and have no need to worry about their weight).

After the cake-eating is over, I'm bowled over by Honey's ability to put away slice after slice. Every time he asks for one more, I feel a little more worry that he's going to get a stomachache. Somehow, though, Mori finally stops him sternly and tells him that if he eats any more, he'll get a cavity. From the dark look in Honey's eyes, I can sense that he's had a nasty cavity before, and that it wasn't exactly a pleasant experience. When he finally gives up his quest to finish the entire cake, I breathe a sigh of relief. At least half of the cake is left, but no one at the table can stand to eat any more, we're all so stuffed. That thing was enormous. The twins carefully put in the walk-in fridge in the back room (why does a music room have a walk-in fridge? Oh wait, it's Ouran. Never mind).

"Now it's time to open presents!" Tamaki claps his hands together. "Haruhi?"

"Really? Me?" Haruhi gives Tamaki a look of annoyance. "Everyone in this room has more money to spare than my dad makes in a year, and you want me to go first?"

"Aww, poor Haruhi." The twins and rub their cheeks against Haruhi's. "She doesn't have any money." I can see her face darkening in annoyance, and I try to resist the urge to laugh. The twins really have no manners, do they?

"I guess you don't have to go," Tamaki says, his golden-retriever ears drooping. "But I'm sure Ariel will love your gift anyway, ne, Ariel?"

I nod in response. "It's okay if it's not expensive. It's the thought that counts."

"Fine." Haruhi's gift is a book, _All the Light We Cannot See_ by Anthony Doerr.

"Thanks!" I tell her as I put the haphazardly-torn wrapping paper to the side. "This book got good reviews, didn't it? I've been looking for something new to read."

She nods in response, and I can sense a hint of a blush around her cheeks. I can see why Tamaki and the twins fawn over her. It's kinda… adorable.

I quickly unwrap the rest of my presents (what? It's interesting to see what kind of presents the hosts think I would like).

The twins' gifts are wrapped together. From Hikaru is the pair of pretty glass heels I wore to the Black and White Ball and from Kaoru is the opal-and-black-crystal necklace I wore the same night. "Wow, guys," I breathe. "This is too much." The heels are even more gorgeous than I remember them - lined with velvet and shot through with silver in a pattern that almost looks like cracks. They're so delicate, it makes me nervous just holding them. I can't believe I danced an entire night in these shoes.

The necklace is just as amazing. The opal shines with a multicolored, luminescent glow and the crystals glitter in the palm of my hand. I hold it up to the light and it casts an unnatural pattern of light across the room.

"No way. These are yours." Hikaru pats me on the back.

"We weren't sure about giving you something you'd already worn, but Mom convinced us. She said that when she saw you at the ball, it looked like these were made for you," Kaoru tells me.

"We delivered the dress directly to the Ootori mansion."

"_We figured you had enough to carry_," they say in unison, looking sideways at the huge pile of gifts that I'm going to have to take home.

"Thanks, you two." I pull them both in close for a group hug. They both look shocked at the intimacy, but their expressions melt into identical smiles as I wrap my arms around them. Something tells me these guys aren't used to being hugged so much.

Honey's gift is a stuffed german shepherd puppy. It's very fuzzy and very huggable. I squeeze it in my arms as soon as it's out of the wrapping. It feels good knowing that Honey picked it out personally. "Thank you! What should I name him?"

"His name is Inu-san," Honey tells me with a wide smile.

I raise my eyebrows. "Doesn't that just mean Mr. Dog?"

"You know that? I thought Ari-kun couldn't speak Japanese." Honey tugs on Mori's sleeve. "Did you know she could speak Japanese, Takashi?"

I wave my hands quickly. No use letting them think I actually learned the language. While I have a knack for learning languages and I've been studying Japanese for a few months with a private tutor, Japanese is a difficult language and I'm nowhere near fluency. "No, I just know a few words here and there. Was I right?"

"Yes, Inu-san means Mr. Dog! Is that a bad name?" I can practically see his pretty eyes glistening with tears at my criticism of the name he chose.

"No, no!" I quickly deny any dissatisfaction. "It's a great name. Thanks for Inu-san."

Mori's gift is an expensive-looking hunting bow and a set of arrows. The bow is a deep shade of red, like my hair, and the arrows' tips gleam with malicious sharpness. I can just imagine myself stalking through the woods with the bow and arrows, the predator to any that dared to cross my path. The gift may not entirely suit me, but it suits the person I want to be - strong, powerful, with the ability to destroy my enemies.

Maybe I'm reading too much into it.

By the time we get to Tamaki's gift, he's practically bouncing up and down in his seat with excitement. "What'd you get me?"

"Wait here." Puppy dog tail wagging back and forth, Tamaki strides to the back room and returns moments later with a huge box wrapped in paper decorated with yellow suns and white moons. From inside comes a small sound, almost like… a mew.

A mew?

I tear through the wrapping paper to reveal a large pet crate. Within, the sounds of insistent meowing grow louder and there is a sound of scrabbling at the bars of the door.

_Oh my god. He didn't_. I peer into the crate with bated breath. Two sets of wide, nervous eyes stare back at me.

_He did!_

I open the crate and carefully reach into it. My face pulls into a wince as a set of minuscule claws dig into my arm. The aforementioned arm emerges slowly, with a tiny little kitten hanging off of it.

_Dear lord_.

The kitten in my arms is about the cutest thing I've ever seen in my short lifetime. It's ears and paws are larger in proportion to the rest of it and I stare at it in awe as it clumsily pushes its way to its feet stare up at me.

"You got me a kitten?" I breathe, facing Tamaki with the tiny bundle of fur clinging tightly to my arms. It's getting its hair all over my ugly yellow school dress, but I don't really care.

"Two kittens," he says, smiling at my expression. "The other one is in the crate. She's a bit more shy."

I look back into the crate, and sure enough, inside is a sweet-looking white kitten with frightened blue eyes. "So she's a girl, huh? Is this one-" I motion to the kitten in my arms. "-a girl or a boy?"

"A boy." Tamaki replies, still smiling like a madman.

I run my hand over the boy kitten's fur. He looks like a tabby - orange and white stripes and a pure white tummy. The other cat is sleek and a pale, pale grey, except for splotches of blue-black on her tail and feet. They're both softer than clouds. My mind is working in overdrive at that moment, so I just say the first thing that pops into my head. "Are they brother and sister?"

"I think so. A few weeks ago, I saw them in a box in the rain. Their owner was giving them away, and I couldn't stand to leave the out in the cold, but I have a dog at home so I can't keep them." Well. It's nice to know that I'm getting Tamaki's cast-off kittens, but they're so precious that I can't summon any annoyance. At my pondering looks, Tamaki's golden-retriever tail droops. "Was this a bad idea? If you don't want them, I can take them back. I'm sure they'll be able to find homes…"

"No, no! I love them. I totally want to keep them." I turn to Kyoya. "That is, if you think your mom and dad would be okay with it."

Kyoya has a very odd expression on his face. The way he's looking at me is… embarrassed, almost, as if he's been caught doing something he shouldn't be. But what?

He swallows, adjusts his glasses. "Yes, I think it would be fine as long as you keep them out of the main house."

"Yay!" I cuddle the boy kitten close to my chest.

Hmmm. I can't just keep calling him 'boy kitten'. "Do they have names?" I ask Tamaki.

"No, not that I know of. You get to name them."

Oh. Well… I catch a glimpse of the sun-and-moon patterned wrapping paper. "How about… Sunny. The girl kitty can be Luna." I scratch the top of Sunny's head. "How do you like that, Sunny?"

He purrs in response.

I reach into the crate to give Luna the same treatment, and pretty soon I've coaxed her out of her hiding place into my lap. She stand still on wobbly legs, and lets me pet her, eventually giving in to a soft purr like the whirring of a tiny, adorable machine.

Before long the guests and the other hosts are crowding around me. They all take turns admiring the sweet little kittens, giving them more TLC than their tiny minds could possibly comprehend. At least I'm out of the spotlight. Honey in particular is enamoured with Sunny, who seems to take a liking to the oldest (but most childlike) host.

We all get caught up in the excitement of having two real-live kittens to adore, but the still-large pile of presents in the corner reminds me that I have a while to go before this party is over. When I begin to open thee guests' presents, I'm shocked at the variety and sheer absurdity of some of the things they bought. Since they all go to a school like Ouran, I'm not entirely surprised at the extravagance, but there's certainly a few odd items that I'm not sure I'll find a use for.

For one, there's a bicycle. Now, it's not such an odd item, but to be given a bicycle on your sixteenth birthday is just a bit… weird. I only learned how to ride a bike a few years ago - when I lived in my parents' mansion, there was always a car to take me wherever I want to go. Still, I appreciate the gesture. The bike - retro-style and sea-foam green - is a bit more feminine than I would have chosen myself, but it's aesthetically pleasing and I like it.

Another is a huge stack of books that appear to be the entire works of Stephen King. How exactly did Momoka Kurakano guess that I was a horror fan? Still, I'm not sure it's wise for me to read all of these; there have to be around fifty little volumes here. I pack the books into another gift - a neon green set of luggage that, according to the giver, glows in the dark.

Aside from the oddities, I get a lot of handbags, a lot of jewelry, and a lot of clothes that are way too flowy and pink for me. I'll have to give them to Haruhi (though it's doubtful that we're the same size. Maybe I can have them altered). Even though she's so masculine at school, I've noticed that when dressing as a girl, she goes all out with the girlie-ness. Nevertheless, I'm touched at every gift as a gesture of kindness and goodwill. For once in my life, I'm well-liked, and it feels good.

At the end of the gift-giving, I have to wonder about Kyoya. Didn't he get me anything? It's not he _had_ to, but I really thought he of all people would have gotten me a gift for this party. Even though he's under no obligation to buy me anything - it's not like we're dating or something - I still feel a little twinge of disappointment. I really don't care _what_ he'd've gotten me, just that he cared enough to get me something, anything.

_This is silly,_ I tell myself. _Don't get all upset over him. It's almost like… you're _into_ him. And you're not._

As I clear away the wrapping paper of the last gift and reach out to take Luna into my arms, I feel a hand on my shoulder.

"Did you really think I'd forgotten you?"

XXIX

Kyoya

Her soft blue eyes glance up at me, her features wearing the same expression of surprise that barely seems to have left her face all day. In her arms, the white kitten, Luna, purrs gently.

I don't blame it.

As Ariel's long fingers trace mindess patterns over the kitten's back, I can almost imagine what it would feel like to have those fingers trace my own wrists in the same way, delicate and fleeting as a whisper. What, then, would it feel like to have her breath play across my skin as she speaks my name? Would it be as gentle? As careful?

"Kyoya?"

Has she noticed my odd expression? Though there is no way that she could possibly know what I've been thinking, her eyes are sharp and questioning and I feel the urge to confess that for the past few weeks, I've been seeing her in ways that don't entirely make sense. _No, that would be absurd._ It would be ridiculous to tell her, when I myself don't quite understand.

_Teenage hormones happen to the best of us._ A line from a long-forgotten film jumps to the forefront of my mind, and I balk at the suggestion in the actor's voice. Could that be what this is? Desire? For _Ariel_? It couldn't be.

"Kyoya?" Ariel's voice, more insistent this time, prods me to regain my composure and adjust my glasses yet again. I am confident that she will be fond of my gift above all the others', even Tamaki's (I am amazed, as usual, at his lack of tact in choosing a gift - though Ariel seems willing to accept the burden of the kittens).

I repeat my question. "Did you think I had forgotten to get you a present?"

She looks down and shuffles her feet. "I wasn't sure. I know it's short notice. You didn't have to."

I feel a bit affronted. Did she really think I would be the only host to not get her a gift, even when I'm the one who has been entertaining such an odd fascination with her? I suppose she has no way of knowing this, but I still want her to think more of me.

Perhaps this gift will do the trick.

I reach into the inside pocket of my school blazer and retrieve a small, flat black box. As I feel its hard wooden edges press into my palm, I suddenly have a rare moment of doubt. Will she really appreciate this gift, or will she see it as an invasion of her privacy?

It's too late now to take it back. I hold it out in the palm of my hand and she takes it, ever-so-hesitantly.

Her fingers brush mine.

I feel a jolt - not like electricity, but like passing my hand over an open flame. Her hand is burning hot, but I know it is just my imagination. Nevertheless, another irrational spark plays over the skin of my finger pads and I meet her eyes. For some reason, I want to believe she can feel it too - the faded blue of her eyes is wide and exposed, as if she'd had as much of a shock as I'd had, and her hand lingers in mine just a second too long.

When she finally pulls her hand away after what seemed like a longer moment than the few seconds that it surely was, vague, uncertain disappointment brings an uncharacteristic flush to my cheeks. I turn away and fix my glasses so the light flashes off them and obscures my eyes from view.

She pulls her gaze from my face to the box, then carefully undoes the black satin ribbon. When the top of the box is removed, a slow smile spreads across her face at the contents. "Thank you, Kyoya."

Her fingers seem aware of the delicacy and high value of the item in her hands. It is an antique silver locket, oval-shaped and carved with an intricate pattern of leaves surrounding a blooming silver rose.

"Open it," I tell her softly. It is not so much a command as a request. My heart is beating in my ears in anticipation.

Ariel gives me a questioning glance but complies, lifting the silver door. It takes a moment to open, but soon the old silver hinges give way and the locket swings open.

I can't see the contents from here, but I know precisely what lies within. With the deliberation I gave this gift, it's only natural.

On one side of the double photo frame is a tiny photograph of her parents. They both are only half-looking at the camera, half of their attention fixed on each other. They look young, and hopelessly in love with each other. I secured the photo from Ariel's parents themselves. Her mother told me over email that this was the photo they used in private wedding announcements many years ago.

The other photograph is of Aurora.

In it, she is laughing, a flawless smile stretched into the perfect image of mirth and forever frozen in the picture frame. It is barely possible to see her slim shoulders, but they are adorned with thin straps of white. This was Aurora's wedding day.

In the impeccable happiness on her face, I can see traces of Ariel too. While their basic features were vastly different - Ariel's light olive skin to Aurora's china-white, Ariel's red hair to Aurora's blonde, and Ariel's stormy blue-grey eyes to Aurora's cerulean - their facial expressions held similarity, that I can tell from the few pictures I've seen of Aurora.

My thoughts flick back to the present and I notice Ariel's hands trembling. The box slips out of her shaky fingers and clatters on the floor, but the locket is still held secure.

"Ariel? Are you alright?" I ask, coming closer because I just _can't help it_.

A tear runs down from the corner of her left eye.

I can't help but be shocked still. Ariel, crying? It can't be. I expected to make an impact with my gift, but this was certainly not the reaction I wanted.

"Ariel?!"

She sniffs hurriedly and wipes away the solitary tear with a watery laugh. "Ha, sorry! I didn't mean to cry, it's just…" she trails off and swallows, standing up.

I think for a wild second that she's going to hit me, but she doesn't. Instead, I'm pulled into a tight hug that barely leaves me room for breath. That suddenly doesn't seem to matter much, because _my entire body is aflame_.

Or at least… something like that. Ariel is like fire.

My every sense is burning with something unfamiliar, some feeling that I can't smell of her wraps around me, mint and the way soil smells after the rain - earthy and fresh. It's the kind of smell that could drive someone to pray for a storm. Her sangria-red hair brushes my cheek as she stands on tiptoe to kiss my cheek.

"Thanks."

It feels like being branded, but it's pleasant kind of heat, and I can't keep the elation off of my face.

XXIX

**A/N: There you go! This was the first real chapter of Season Two, and I think it went pretty well. What do you think?**

**Here's your chapter-ly reminder how much reviews, favorites, and follows mean to me. I love 'em. Reviews especially give me validation that I'm not wasting my time with this story, and they motivate me to write more frequently and give you new chapters sooner. What's not to like? Just answering my Random Question of the Chapter will take you like two seconds, but it'll put a smile on my face and make my day.**

_PLEASE READ_**: Would any of you be interested in me writing a one-shot for you? It could be of any pairing you like, with the genre however you want it. I'm thinking of doing a "giveaway" of a one-shot in celebration of the end of Season One, but for now I'm just testing the waters to see if anyone's interested. Leave me a review if you like the idea!**

**Fun Fact #12: Ariel has a bad habit of leaving her makeup on when she sleeps.**

**About the Author: One of my (many) bad habits is listening to music loudly without headphones in the middle of the night (actually, Ariel does this too, lol).**

**What's your number one bad habit? Leave me a review!**

**Until next time…**


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